Super-cheap? CPLD development kits (Score 1)

A cheaper alternative that's well below your price point would be CPLDs (complex programmable logic devices). Much less capable than an FPGA but also much cheaper. Xilinx makes the CoolRunner line, Altera makes the MAX line, and I'm sure there are plenty of others. There's a $63 Xilinx development kit available from digi-key:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=122-1573-ND