Just heard Drew’s call about deeply scratching his girlfriend Sarah’s car while washing it. Your suggestions that he enroll in adult ed to learn how to fix it reminded me of this possibility: Some voc-tech schools allow students to work on personal vehicles for minimal (if any) expense. Caveat: Students are not full trained professionals. Ask at a local community college or high school.
One potential solution, would be to watch ebay, or “Auto Recycling Centers” it may be cheaper to replace the hood. I had some rust on an old audi of mine from stone chips on the hood, so I got a replacement from a car that had been rear-ended. it was half the price and already painted! Also, I believe the Toyota Corolla is the same car, so the hood may be the same. good luck