First of all, you need to get the lingo correct--you're talking about the Canon Rebel T1i (no "X"). As you're a starving student (I've been there), I'll list the current refurbished body-onlyprices (in US dollars) of the two most likely candidates:


Canon Rebel T1i - $600


Canon Rebel XSi - $430


You can find Adorama's Refurbished Inventory here.


The XSi is a very good camera for the money. In fact, I think (right now) it's the perfect starter SLR. It isn't the newest and greatest Rebel (it does not shoot video like the T1i), but it's a very solid choice for the money. In fact, you probably wouldn't see much difference in picture quality even if you bought the latest and greatest (except for an increase in resolution and slightly better performance at higher ISOs).


You might want to get yourself a decent lens while you're at it. Honestly, the lens has more to do with the final picture quality than the camera does. Finding the right general purpose lens for yourself on a budget will probably be a much more difficult task.


EDIT: Like the above poster said, the most important variable in taking a beautiful picture is the photographer. A great photographer can make fantastic images with equipment that seems inferior and limiting to the rest of us.