There is a free online ham radio course being offered and sponsored by RST
Engineering at www.rstengineering.com/hamradio . It is intended to take
anybody with an interest in getting a
ham radio license from zero knowledge through at least enough knowledge to
pass the written exam. There is no practical exam for a ham license; pass
the written and you am one. The site is intended to take somebody with no
prior knowledge of the subject to be ready to pass at least one class of
license within 30 days.

There are no time limits. Study at your own pace; my college class is
taking the exam(s) on the 26th of February, but the rest of the world can
take whatever time they see fit. I will suggest that total immersion is the
best way to study this subject. If you don't want to buy the study guide
books from the sources that I recommend, most college and municipal
libraries either have them or can get them temporarily for a small fee.

While I wrote this site specifically for my college electronics class
students, with it being on the web, anybody in the USA and possessions can
use the site to study for the license. There is virtually nowhere in the
USA that there are not volunteer examiners within a short distance of your
home. Jay Honeck, for example, you, Mary, and the kids could take your
exams in Davenport, Moline, Mt. Carroll, Waterloo, or Dubuque. (See
http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml for the location closest to
you.) There is a nominal fee between zero and $15 charged by the
organization that prints, mails, examines, and files the paperwork to cover
their costs of doing business.

There are three classes of license:

Technician has no code and an elementary theory and regulations exam. It
permits limited operation below 30 MHz., but grants all privileges from 30
MHz. on up.

General has a 5wpm code exam and a moderate theory and regulations exam. It
permits almost all operation on any amateur radio band, with little tiny
slices here and there reserved for the ...

Extra has a 5wpm code exam and a rather extensive theory and regulations
exam. It permits all operations on any amateur radio band.