[hcobb]

Why not start wizards with chests (for free, or at a big discount, replacement is at full cost but there's no big market for used as every part will need to be retuned), and whatever spellbooks they can afford. Your wizards are questing for books all the time that they can't use in combat.

So any Wizard Academy graduate with Literacy can start with a chest for $500 down and geused to pay half their net income to the WG until the loan is paid off.