MATLAB is a bit different and takes some getting used to, even for people who know other languages like Python or C. All the matrix stuff is handled differently (and MATLAB is all about the matrices), the syntax is a little surprising, and the debugger is not that great. What she needs, probably, is someone to sit down with her a few times while she is at the keyboard programming, to point her in the right direction.
But also, if this is a programming course she needs to face the fact that programming courses often take a whole lot of time, like 20 hours a week, especially if the student not only has to do the programs, but has to learn a new programming language to do them in.
Stack Overflow is her friend. When I had to learn Octave (the freeware version of MATLAB) for a MOOC from Stanford, I’d be sitting at my computer, trying to figure out why my stupid &*%%^$$ program wasn’t working, and often I’d be able to Google the answer from Stack Overflow.
The Andrew Ng intro to Matlab/Octave is worth checking out. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ-E1VZLTeHMtUopmGx99KS775aHYP3e4