perhaps a surface pro or a Dell Inspirion 13 7000 .
So what I would look for is
16GB RAM (8GB Min)
500GB SSD (256GB Min)
13 - 15" screen (FHD)
i5 or i7.
From personal experience you need this to last for 4 years, so it will be better to get the extra RAM and SSD capacity.
Check to see what student discounts she can get, I know that Apple do give discount, and I think Dell do as well.
I still think a macbook will be a better option for someone who is not PC literate.