Maybe you can try sage:

http://wiki.sagemath.org/sage_mathematica

I love all the components that sage is built on, and am a huge python nerd, though I haven't tried sage itself.

Mathematica just does some super cool things and encourages a different pattern of thought, which I'd love to play with.

At least they have a hell of an educational discount. Probably the biggest I have seen.

I learn things sometimes... do I qualify?

(seriously though, I'm not a student. 2 credits at Johns Hopkins, right down the street, are about the same price as Mathematica)

Go take that class at Johns Hopkins, then click on this link: http://store.wolfram.com/view/app/mathforstudents - $139.95 for a fully functional student version. You can also get a semester version for $44.95.

"Note: Mathematica for Students is intended for students enrolled in accredited academic institutions and is for use on a student's own personal computer."

Of course, $139 is far too high for a student.

Tons of students pay $100 for books. Tons of students pay $10,000-$30,000 for tuition.

But no students pay for software

I suppose many don't. I guess it depends on the meaning of "too high" for a student. I took it to mean "students cannot afford to pay $139" rather than "at $139, students will prefer to get the software illegally, even though they could pay if they chose to".