What are the Air Traffic Control employment requirements?

[secret]

My bro is currently in school for ATC program. He will be due for an A.S. degree graduation this June. I'm worried about his employment opportunity because money is tight and economy is bad, so we are praying for him to get employment ASAP post graduation. So the strategy I recommended is for him to start applying a month or so before graduation, but his school told him that they have a policy that does not allow their students to start the employment application process until AFTER graduation. Yet he found out there's another classmate who passed the preliminary exam in ANOTHER state with flying colors and she's ALREADY set for employment immediately AFTER graduation (also an A.S. degree) this June.

Therefore, I need some ATC employees input on this matter, because obviously, it seems his school just wants to make $ by telling their students some policies. Yet we now know it's not exactly the FAA policies, since they don't even require schooling for ATC employment.
Are there any websites that post the FAA employment requirements and guidelines? Please refer me to some links. I would greatly appreciate any honest and serious inputs.
That "other" lucky student is one of his classmates, attending the same school. That's how we found out what the school said has been bogus.