That's so much electricity though! That equipment is typically so cheap bc the power draw is nuts. I agree the pi isnt the right move but why burn up so much power when they won't be using practically any of it, to learn?
I'd suggest a small, used x86-64 mini-pc, throw in 16gb of ram and a HDD. If you dont pay for electricity, like in a dorm, then the old server-grade stuff is the way to go. Plus it will keep you very toasty in the winter.