I'm in the same position as you (broke college student). Trust me when I say this, it's worth it to save up and get the best. Just put away $100 a month and before you know it you'll have a real aimpoint you can be proud of instead of wishing you had a real one.
Although, there is ONE clonepoint I would recommend other than the real thing and that is the ones they make at 1337tactical.com. I had one and it worked well. They are definately made to handle the recoil of a real gun, but don't expect to be as reliable or last nearly as long as the real deal.
http://1337tactical.com/shop/productlist.php?typeId=1