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Let’s be honest – college is expensive. Even if you qualify for scholarships and grants, that money is not enough to cover all your expenses through 4 years of college.
According to US News, 42 million people (or 1 in 6 American adults) carries a federal student loan. The student loan debt reached $1.6 trillion as of June 2019 and there are no signs of slowing down.
In addition, college tuition gets expensive every year factoring in inflation. So, the overall cost of the college education also increases and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for the growing student debt crisis.
But, you can make it easier for yourself by making money in college. With the digital age that we live in, there are plenty of opportunities to make extra money in college. Also, this will ensure you do not borrow more in the form of student loans.
So, let’s look at the TOP 20 ways to make money in college.
On-Campus Jobs To Make Money In College
1) The Go-To Tech Person
If you are good with technology, this is the best gig ever that you can work on in college. Almost every student in college runs into a tech issue at some time.
You can leverage your expertise to make a decent buck. Your unique selling point (USP) would be the convenience at a cheaper rate (vs. outside world). Instead of carving out the time to go outside the campus and pay a premium, folks will come to you to get their issues resolved because they either know you or have heard from someone.
In addition, there is no limit on who you help. Meaning, you can use your technical expertise to help anyone from a student to a professor.
2) Work-Study Program
The federal work-study (FWS) program provides funds and grants to those in need in the form of part-time employment. There are approximately 3,400 participating post-secondary institutions.
However, students should file for free application for student aid (FAFSA) in order to be eligible for the work-study program.
Students can be employed by the federal, state or local agencies, the institutions itself, corporate or a non-profit organization.
3) Library Assistant
One of the most common ways to make money in college is to be a library assistant. College libraries are generally expansive which means that they house hundreds of thousands of books, articles, papers, journals, and other necessary materials.
As such, libraries constantly require folks to help them out.
Arranging books, tracking the inventory, ordering new books, replacing old books, manage the daily exchange of books from students are just some of the tasks libraries need help with.
And the best perk – you get to do your homework on the job. Yes, when there is no work in the library, you can focus on your studies and save time.
4) Jobs Offered By College Management
Another way to make money in college is to be employed by the college management. Just like the corporate world, the college has a corporate office with departments like IT, HR, Finance, etc.
If you are in the co-op program or have a graduate assistantship, you can apply for jobs with the college management.
There are 2 major advantages:
- The experience is equivalent to any other corporate job. So, it carries more weight than if you were a library assistant
- The pay is generally better vs. other on-campus jobs
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5) Teaching Assitant (TA)
A teaching assistant job is another common way to make money in college. The job description varies from professor and college/university. Also, the requirements to become a TA are set up by the professor and college.
Here is a sample of the job description according to Betterteam:
- Work with the lead teacher to monitor the class schedule.
- Assist teachers with lesson preparation by getting materials ready and setting up equipment.
- Revise lesson material with students individually or in small groups.
- Ensure the classroom environment is safe and clean.
- Collaborate with lead teachers to recognize the issues students are facing and recommend solutions.
- Help lead teachers to create lesson plans.
- Attend all training classes and faculty meetings.
If you are friendly, outgoing and like to help others, a TA role is a great way to make money in college.
Related Article: How To Save Money
6) Fitness Trainer
If you are into wellness and fitness, you should offer group and personal training lessons. You can either join a local fitness company or offer the lessons in your college gym.
One of the advantages of being in college is that you do not have to worry about finding your customers.
The students right on campus and most of them work out anyway either for college sports and(or) personal fitness. It is a smart way to make money in college.
7) Nutritionist
If you are into nutrition, another smart way to make money in college is to offer your tips and ideas regarding diets and meals.
Even if you are a beginner, if you have come across certain foods and meals that are healthy, protein-rich or simply delicious because of the ingredients, you can share that insight with others.
Once you have enough folks trying out your recommendations, you can start charging for your ideas and insights.
Off-Campus Jobs To Make Money In College
8) Barista Or A Bartender
If you like to make coffee, tea, and flavored drinks, being a barista will help you make money in college. The coffee shops are always looking for help. If you are good with people and can memorize the menu with recipes, it might be the right gig for you.
Also, if you are a morning person, you have a better chance of landing a barista job.
On the flip side, if you are 21 and would like to make more in tips by serving alcohol, you can be a bartender. The advantage of being a bartender is that it does not interfere with your schedule during the daytime.
9) Drive for Uber And(Or) Lyft
One of the most popular options to make money in college is to drive for Uber and Lyft.
If you like to drive and meet new people, driving for Uber and Lyft could be a perfect gig to earn quick money.
The advantage of driving for them is the flexible hours that you can choose and drive whenever you want. They also offer new driver bonuses depending on your city.
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10) Tutoring
If your teen loves to teach others, this is the perfect summer job. There are countless students who need a little help getting through their studies, and your teen can really help them. Studies do not take a break during the summer months as students prepare for SATs and ACTs all year long.
Reach out to juniors and see if they would like tutoring services. Often times, it’s much cheaper to hire a teen tutor than hiring a seasoned tutor, so it works out for both sides. It is a great way to earn some cash and make money in college.
As an adult, you can reach out to your network at work, church, parent groups, including your friends, to pass on the word.
11) Deliver For Amazon Or Other Stores
Another way to make money in college that has become very popular in the last 3-5 years is to deliver for Amazon & Walmart
Both these retail giants are going head to head in expanding their delivery services and are wooing customers with 1-day delivery.
So, in order to ensure 1-day deliveries, they need a lot of local drivers that they can rely on to deliver packages the next day. You can take advantage of this business expansion and work flexible hours over the weekend and make quick extra cash.
12) Deliver Groceries
Another way to earn money in college and make an impact in the community is to deliver groceries.
There could be a number of reasons why someone cannot go and get their groceries. From someone being sick to parents attending kid’s activities and not having the time, you can help relieve their stress by delivering groceries at their doorstep.
Grocery delivery services, like AmazonFresh, InstaCart and ThriveMarket are amazing services that you can work with and earn quick money working flexible hours.
Side Hustles To Make Money In College
13) Freelance Services
You can make money in college literally in hours by offering freelance services. From logo, website & graphics design to writing, translation and digital marketing, you can earn quick money by freelancing.
How?
One of the popular platforms that allow you to reach thousands of customers is Fiverr. The best part is that business owners from anywhere in the world can reach out to you online for your services.
Another such platform is Upwork where people look to hire skilled freelancers.
14) Being A Virtual Assistant
There are countless small businesses that need someone to help them on an as-needed basis.
For example, if the business owner is busy with building a business, he or she is always going to need help managing emails, calendars, appointments and someone who can reply to emails.
One of the popular industries that require VA services is the blogging world. Experienced bloggers who are solopreneurs (business run by one person) require help to manage their email accounts, blogging schedule, standard email responses, course launches, etc.
Another way you can help a solopreneur is by managing their social media accounts. A small business might not have the manpower to dedicate someone to manage their social media presence.
Upwork and Timeetc are popular platforms for VA services.
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15) Being A DJ
If you are into music and like to compose music, you can make money in college by being a DJ. From late-night college parties to local pubs and sports bars, there are weekend DJ gigs you can tap into.
Once your name has brand awareness, you can also reach out to those popular pubs and clubs that pay well for your time.
Also, in comparison, being a DJ pays a little better than if you were a barista or a library assistant.
16) Being A Youtuber
The latest trend in building your online business is to be a Youtuber. This is one of the modern ways to make money in college. A lot of folks have youtube accounts and instead of blogging/writing about their life experiences, they simply create videos to share that information.
With social media at our fingertips, it is extremely easy these days to snap a picture or create a video and upload it to one of your social media accounts.
Also, you can create products and services that you can sell once you establish your presence in your niche.
More and more college students strive to be successful Youtuber so it can help them make money in college.
17) Data Entry Work
One of the on-demand jobs for college students to make money in college is the data entry work. It might not be the coolest gig but it pays well for sure.
You can sign up with companies like Upwork and Clickworker and register for tasks that you would like to work on.
Two of the biggest advantages to this job is the flexibility of working on your schedule and the convenience to work from your dorm room.
Make Money In College By Selling Stuff
18) Sell Stuff On Facebook & eBay
If a garage sale is not your preferred choice to sell items, you can sell it on Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
You can sell literally everything from phone cases/phones to cars on both sites. Given the extremely powerful databases of both sites, you can make a good chunk of money on the side by selling items you don’t need.
To learn more about Facebook Marketplace, check out the details here.
19) Sell Stuff From Basem*nt/Garage
Every household will have stuff that is no longer required or stored away either in a basem*nt or a storage area.
You can take the stuff that is not required and sell it on eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, or in-person through contacts and references.
This is a great way to develop entrepreneurial skills, and it gets rid of the clutter in the house PLUS helps you make money in college on the side.
20) Sell Old Electronics
If you have old phones, cds, video games, and other electronic items, you can make quick money by selling them online.
Sites like Amazon, Decluttr, Swappa, Gazelle, and others make it easy to get rid of those unwanted items and cash out.
Since there are a number of sites that offer selling electronics, each tries to differentiate it from the others either by price or by rules on the types of items accepted.
Download FREE Budget Checklist
>> 50+ List of Budget Items
>> Budget Items categorized into 3 sections: Income, Fixed Expenses, Variable Expenses
Final Thoughts
If you are currently a college student, there is no better and easier time than today to make money in college. There are numerous options as discussed above (both online and offline) and there should be no reason why you cannot make extra money on the side to support yourself.
The top 20 ways listed above to make money in college are some of the popular ways college students make money today!
How did you make money in college? Please share your experiences, thoughts, tips, and ask away any questions in the comment section below!
