Hi Culinarian,
I'm not from the West Coast but I can tell you that most Institutes around here, the tri-state area are all in the 20-30k range. Depending on the length of the course and the degree, diploma, certification that is. There are plenty of scholarship options to apply for, check it out with your schools or check on the web. James Beard foundation offers scholarships, as well as other organizations. I was planning on attending a school in Manhattan, the Institute of Culinary Edu. and that one was $20,000 for a six month diploma. It was the lowest of the few I checked into. I missed the cut-off date for a few of the scholarships so I might wait until the new year to apply again. Help yourself out and check out the Peterson's Guide or Shaw guide to culinary schools. I have the Peterson's and it gives info. on all the Culinary schools around the country, including tuition, degrees/diplomas/, faculty etc.
Good Luck!
K
Scholarships 
paying for schools 
