All Maya PLE versions are resticted by:

Watermarks on renders (which makes renders hard to see)
Limited Export formats (I think u get ma and mb for your troubles)
NO plugin support (that means zero, nada, zilch, nyiet)

PLE is designed to teach u the basics of modelling, lighting and everything Maya. TBH as long as you enrole in a learning program and get an id, you should qualify for a Student Edition.

Maya PLE means learning Maya and nothing else, which is fine until u want to start to incorporate other geometries from other applications...

Save your cash up until u have around $2,000 for the Complete Version or $5,000 for Unlimited.

There is a free modelling software out there called Blender, and its very good, esp since its open source (https://www.blender.org/)