Very little has changed in screen printing, really. Unless the latest cc version offers a huge advantage or innovation. I have both - an older suite for backup and current cc for daily use (actually 6, haven't updated yet). You can still buy pre cc software online. We get great regular software and feature updates throughout the year. My accounting package from Xero is monthly and cloud based and our retail software Vend, is the same. Incidentally, a lot of stuff is going to cloud and with monthly payments. You may also find there is a student discount there for you. I would never have been able to afford to buy it outright, so the online monthly payment system actually suited me great. That way, I have a safety net, but still retain access to the latest features.
I wangled myself a full version of CS5 direct from Adobe, but then still use the latest online version. I guess with adobe, at least you are getting access to the latest versions whenever they come out, and they give you access to everything they make. At the same time, I find the US policy of having to pay property tax forever on a house you own outright also highly offensive! If you own it, and you have paid for it with taxed income, you shouldn't have to make continuous payments on it forever or risk loosing it, should you?
