Student somehow agrees to accept small gift (8)
I believe the answer is:
largesse
'gift' is the definition.
(largesse is a kind of gift)
'student somehow agrees to accept small' is the wordplay.
'student' becomes 'l' (as in L-plates for learner drivers).
'somehow' indicates an anagram.
'to accept' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'small' becomes 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size).
'agrees' anagrammed gives 'argese'.
'argese' enclosing 's' is 'argesse'.
'l'+'argesse'='LARGESSE'
(Other definitions for largesse that I've seen before include "Les rages at the distribution of gifts" , "Generous alms" , "Magnanimity, munificence" , "Generous giving" , "Eelgrass (anag.)" .)