What should a beginner filmmaker on a budget buy?

There is an age-old prejudice against using DSLRs for video mainly expressed by people who have zero experience and simply regurgitate prejudice read elsewhere. 5 or so years ago DSLRs were inferior to even low-range camcorders but that has changed in recent years. DSLRs are now widely used for the production of video material for TV.

I only know Canon cameras so will stick to recommendations from their range. Nikon are generally judged inferior to Canon for video but you may also wish to research Pentax and Sony.

Because your primary use is for video you will benefit greatly from the continuous AF feature only available in later Canon cameras and missing from current bottom of the range models. Depending on your budget, go for a Canon EOS 200D (sold in USA as the EOS Rebel SL2), a Canon EOS 800D.(Rebel T7i in USA) an EOS 77D or 80D. The 18-55mm kit lens will be a good starting point until you find your feet and start to widen your horizons.

Buy a video camcorder, not a DSLR unless you fully understand the limitations and restrictions. My guess is that you are going to make a big mistake and buy a DSLR anyway simply because it seems cheaper.

If you are making movies then you, then you shouldn't consider a still camera. You should be looking at camcorders.

Do not buy
if u buy DSLR u then need to buy good amount of lenses(tele,wide and norm) and also lighting and audio kits and maybe tripod and gimbal for ur movements...and after a year most of them gonna outdated...just rent ur gear and experience many cameras and lenses

The way to think of a DSLR is as a dumbed-down camcorder which has the advantage of being able to easily accept a wide range of lenses. It won't let you shoot long scenes, but in any cause you should be only scripting short takes. You don't get all of the big sensor on DSLRs recording the video either.

So, camcorder first, then if you do discover any lens limitations think about adding a DSLR.

You need a tripod or a rig, because filming with a DSLR camera out of your hand will shake the shot quite a bit. You should also buy a decent microphone for the sound recordings, as the onboard microphones are usually quite bad. (Especially with DSLR cameras) If you still have money left, it's best to buy some light to illuminate your scene. Possibly LED panels.

What do you mean by "on a budget?" Does that mean you don't want to spend more than $3,000?

No DSLR at any price can outperform a decent camcorder in the sub $700 USD price range. Since you're going to film school, you absolutely need a camcorder. A camcorder is a dedictated, purpose built video device. A mirrorless or DSLR is a digital still camera that just so happens to have video. Get yourself a camcorder from Sony, Canon or Panasonic and NOT a DSLR.

Go onto YouTube and do a search for DSLR vs Camcorder. You'll find that unless you absolutely need that shallow depth of field look that 35mm DSLRs provide, there's no reason to buy a full-frame DSLR for video, let alone an APS-C format. This is especially true for anyone on a budget. You have to also factor in the cost of a rig cage, external video recorder so you can record for more than 12-30 minutes due to DSLR's 4GB file limitation (although becoming more rare with newer high-end models) and other accessories.

Another problem with DSLRs is that once you go into video mode, you end up incurring an additional 1.7x crop factor since most DSLRs don't use the entire sensor.

If you absolutely have to get a still camera for video, then there are only a handful that are suitable for the typical needs of a film student. The Panasonic GH4 and the GH5, or the Sony A7S II.

Use a camcorder for video.

if you want to actually shoot video i suggest a nikon over a canon...otherwise you will need the D-series of canon...which are pricy

"I watched a few videos that say as long as you have HD and can film, any camera is good; but on here everyone is saying dslr's are inferior which is confusing me. "
"Good" and "inferior" aren't mutually exclusive - a DSLR may be good, but a camcorder's (generally) better.

A good camcorder.

And the mere possession of a bit of good kit does not make you or anybody a "professional". The three bits of kit most needed are your eyes and your brain.

You will also need some editing software, and the use of a computer.

A Sony Handycam.

Not all cameras are the same. The right tool for recording video is a camcorder. The dSLR is a still camera for taking pictures. Its video is only a feature, devoid of any control aside from start and stop. You can get the same functionality with a much cheaper camcorder with the added benefit of better autofocus during video and much longer shooting times.