The one thing students won't necessarily think of in advance is getting a vacuum cleaner when they move away to their dorm room. They shouldn't have to spend a pile of money on vacuuming up crushed Doritos, Hawkin's Cheezies and popcorn when their friends come over.
$27.99 sounds like a perfect price for this Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik Lightweight Corded Bagless Stick Vacuum for a student. The regular price on this at Amazon.ca is $39.99 although typically the reg. price elsewhere is around $34.99.
You can use this stick vacuum on rugs or hard floors. There's a lift off hand vac to use on counters, shelves and curtains. This is great for when they first move in, to catch any wayward dust bunnies from the previous renter. They also get an on-board crevice tool which is great for corners and electronics, too.
It's lightweight (3.8 lbs) and bagless, which is convenient to not have to try to find replacement bags. The cord is 16 feet so it's long enough to work on various areas without needing to plug it in again.
Shipping is free on this item and will ship even faster if you're an Amazon Prime member.
Anything under 12 amps is not worth the money