Decent Cheap DSLR for starting photographer?

Okay, i've always been interested in photography.
and have had numerous point and shoot cameras throughout the past few years.
my last camera is okay, a Kodak easy share M380. But i think its time to upgrade.

The main reason for finally upgrading is i've decided to take a digital fine art photography class at uni, and i don't want the hassle of borrowing the camera.

so, i need something that is on the reasonably cheap side, as i'm a student.
I've heard cannon and nikon are the best?
any information and suggestions would be appreciated!

In my experience, you've definitely heard correct. Canon and Nikon are the top brands, but that doesn't mean that other brands don't make decent products as well.

Two entry-level DSLRs that are great for first-time buyers are the Canon Rebel XS (which was my first) and the Nikon D3000. They both have all of the manual control features of a SLR camera but they are cheaper than many of the higher end models.

Check out the comparisons I've posted below. This may help you decide. I also highly suggest going to try them out somewhere such as Best Buy or some other store that sells cameras in your area.

I recently got the Canon Rebel T1i for my birthday, and it has really blown me away compared to my old point & shoot (I had the Nikon Coolpix 3000)

I don't know a whole lot about photography, but so far it's a very impressive piece of equipment, and it wasn't a few thousand dollars like the higher-in models. I believe the Rebel T1i is $700 with the 18-55mm lens. It's a great entry-level dslr for its price.
The quality of the photos are amazing, and the HD recording is pretty awesome too. This camera isn't too complicated or simple. I think it's just right. This is the first thing I've had to read a manual for, but I'm excited to learn about all the great things I'll be able to do with this camera someday.

Canon and Nikon aren't necessarily the best, but they are the most commonly used. I think the quality of Canon is great, and I've always heard great things about it. Personally I went with Canon because of the quality as I mentioned, but also because the Nikon lenses tend to run a bit high, and I don't believe there's anything that makes them more 'special'.

Check out my stream to see some of my photos.