SSI offers discounted pricing for students and faculty. Version 8.8 is discontinued, but an academic license for LISREL 10 often costs under $100—far less than the commercial rate.
SSI provides a fully functional 30-day trial of the latest LISREL version. This is ideal for completing a short-term project. Search “LISREL free trial” on the official Scientific Software International website. lisrel 88 free download upd
If cost is a concern, consider these free and open-source tools with comparable SEM capabilities: SSI offers discounted pricing for students and faculty