Should I buy Max?

I'm a starving college student, so I'm trying to save money wherever possible. I'm also trying to take a class that uses Max software pretty heavily. I'm really interested in the class and there's a strong chance that it's on the track for my major, but I can't decide how to get my hands on the software.... From what I gather, the sticker price is about $400 (maybe less with a student discount?), the price to try it for a year is $60 (but I would lose most/all of that investment at the end of the trial), and the free trial doesn't last long enough for the class. (I'll take my questions on illegal downloads elsewhere... but I'd rather just get a legit copy if possible.)

I don't want to spend more than about $100 total, but I also don't want to lose the program after a year. Suggestions?