Student, n.
Etymology: [L. studens, -entis, p.pr. of studere to study. See Study, n.]
1. A person engaged in study; one who is devoted to learning; a learner; a pupil; a scholar; especially, one who attends a school, or who seeks knowledge from professional teachers or from books; as, the students of an academy, a college, or a university; a medical student; a hard student. Keep a gamester from the dice, and a good student from his book. Shak.
2. One who studies or examines in any manner; an attentive and systematic observer; as, a student of human nature, or of physical nature.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for student; he lists it under scholar.
Where he writes about it:
Student is applied to those in the higher grades or courses of study, as the academic, collegiate, scientific, etc. — from scholar
Student suggests less proficiency than scholar in the highest sense, the student being one who is learning, the scholar one who has learned. — from scholar
On the other hand, student suggests less of personal supervision than pupil; thus, the college student often becomes the private pupil of some instructor in special studies. — from scholar