Don't worry about the saw manufacturer supporting the saw; the physical principles are the same regardless of the brand. The only issues would be spare parts; most can be fabricated by any group of FRC students.
The saw is very much worth having, using and repairing - an equivalent would cost quite a lot of money.
In addition to the blade recommendations given already, you also need to consider the blade speed (given in feet per minute). Some online research will easily yield some recommendations for that, given what you'll be cutting. Too high of a speed - like that used for wood - will dull your blades quickly. Too slow is less of a problem.
I have also seen suggestions to use a very low-tooth-count blade for aluminum, since the teeth will not get clogged. I can't cite any experts, but some research for the cost of a blade might be valuable. Something like a 4-6 TPI skip-tooth blade was mentioned for aluminum.