The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word COLLEGIAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
L
L
E
G
I
A
N
More clues leading to the result COLLEGIAN
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Student" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case student = collegian.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COLLEGIAN mean?
COLLEGIAN noun- A student (or a former student) of a college
- An inmate of a prison.