The catch is that it's still the same software. AutoCAD 12(!) with Accurender 2. I bought the rendering software back when I could only afford something that cost a couple of hundred dollars. Years later, I was in a rut, and I don't have much experience with the newer, more complex software, even though I own a copy. One of my jobs for a long time was turning out presentation product rapidly for proposal deadlines, and it was always easier to use something I was good with.

I am frigging fast with those stone knives and bearskins.

Here's one list of free 3D software, but don't overlook the deals students can get on the real good stuff.

You can get much lower prices on professional packages like 3DS Max as a student. Many companies also offer free versions, with the catch that it puts watermarks on the end result (for training purposes, this isn't a problem).

Check out this site at AutoDesk.

Watermarked pictures might not look good on your facebook page, but these packages run a few thousand dollars for the professional versions, and being able to use them is not going to suck on your resume later on.

I don't have an educational price for the non-watermarked versions, but it's probably a few hundred dollars. Better than a few thousand.

My daughter picked up an Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium package, legitimately, for about 90 bucks. Street price is something like $1,900.