How to Make Money While in College

Apply for Scholarships and Grants. Many students think they can only apply for funding when they first apply for admission. This is a misconception! There are often new scholarship opportunities for upperclassmen, although they may not be widely advertised. You can also apply for external scholarships and grants from organizations outside your school.

• Start by carefully reading your school's bulletin boards and keeping an eye on email announcements.
• You can also search online for new funding opportunities, and there are apps you can download (some free or very low-cost, like the Scholly app, which is only 99 cents) to help you find them.

Tutoring. One of the best ways to truly grasp a subject is by teaching it. As a tutor, you can sharpen your own knowledge of a subject, demonstrate the value of your services, and earn some extra income—it's a win-win for everyone involved!

• You may get paid through your school for tutoring students in courses you’ve already completed and excelled in, or you could promote your services to classmates.
• To find tutoring opportunities, meet with advisors or professors, or visit the tutoring center at your school.

Making Money from Notes. Hopefully, you've been taking detailed notes in class for your own benefit. Why not turn that effort into double the rewards?

• Many students require special accommodations due to being unable to take notes (usually anonymously).
• These positions are often paid – you can earn about $10 per hour of class time. You’ll carefully take notes, type them up, and either email or leave them for the disability services, who will then distribute them to students in need.

Watch for Emails Requesting Note-Takers. When a student who cannot take notes requests help, the disability services will contact professors to find out which students are willing to volunteer as note-takers, and your professor will send an email to the class. You can also post your services on platforms like Stuvia, where you can make money by selling your notes to other students.

Promote Your Services. You can also reach out directly to disability services to see if they need note-takers for the subjects you’re studying, or you could offer your services to classmates.

• If you self-promote, make sure you don't violate any class or school policies.

Read and Edit Classmates' Essays. If you’re good with writing and editing, you can refine your skills while making money by offering to proofread essays for your peers at a reasonable price.

• Spread the word among your friends and consider distributing flyers to advertise your services.

Familiarize Yourself with Your School's Code of Ethics. If you plan to take on proofreading tasks, you need to be cautious when providing feedback and suggesting revisions. It's essential to understand your school’s code of ethics and policies regarding plagiarism.

• Review your professor's specific rules on sharing work among students. Some professors treat homework assignments almost like exams and prohibit students from collaborating during the process.
• If you rewrite someone’s paper rather than simply proofreading it, both of you could be accused of academic dishonesty and face severe consequences, including expulsion.

Leverage Your Typing Skills and Computer Proficiency. If you type quickly and accurately, if you can create engaging presentations with complex charts, or if you excel at creating tables and graphs to display data, you could be paid to teach and assist other students with their assignments while also improving your own skills.

Use Career Services. Most universities have career service offices that provide guidance on job market opportunities, help with resume preparation, and assist with interview preparation as graduation approaches. However, don’t assume this resource is only available for seniors.

• You can often find paid internships and part-time jobs related to your field of study through the career services office.
• Seeking such opportunities early in your college career not only helps you gain experience in your field and strengthens your resume, but it also brings in some much-needed income while you’re still in school.

Participate in Academic Competitions. You may often come across essay writing contests and intellectual competitions (such as those in science or engineering) that offer cash prizes for top performers.

• Stay alert for such opportunities by regularly checking your school's bulletin boards (starting with those in the academic departments and libraries), carefully monitoring your email, and meeting with advisors and/or professors to ask about any competitions that may be suitable for you.
• Even if you don’t win, you’ll gain valuable experience in your field, make connections, and add to your job application portfolio.

Sign up for the student employment program. Even if you weren’t accepted when you first applied, you can still apply now. Visit the financial aid office to check if you can still apply (or reapply if your financial situation has changed recently).

• There are a variety of on-campus jobs available, from working in the dining hall to administrative positions in academic departments, and even working at the campus theater where you can enjoy free movies and performances!

Find out if your school participates in the federal student employment program. This program provides part-time job opportunities for students with financial aid, ensuring that you will be paid at least the federal minimum wage.

• Positions are often related to your field of study and are focused on civic engagement, benefiting the public.

Become a Resident Assistant. If you live in a dorm, are actively involved in dorm activities and campus life, maintain a high GPA, and enjoy helping others, becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) could be a great opportunity for you.

• While you may not earn additional income from being an RA, you are typically offered free or significantly reduced room and board, helping you save money for other expenses. Some schools, however, do offer payment for this position.

Participate in research studies as a test subject. Check your school’s bulletin boards for announcements seeking volunteers for psychology studies or drug trials.

• These positions usually pay a fixed amount, and at some schools, you can earn up to $20 per hour for simple (and potentially interesting) tasks such as answering survey questions.

Ensure the safety of the experiment. Before agreeing to participate, you need to verify that the experiment has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the Human Subjects Program. This ensures that your rights, as well as your physical and mental health, are protected during the study.

Search for off-campus research trials. If you’re unable to find opportunities within your school’s research program, visit the official U.S. government medical trials website to discover legal trials in your area. You can also check local hospital websites for volunteer recruitment notices.

Sell your textbooks at the end of the semester. One of your biggest expenses might be purchasing textbooks. At the end of each semester, you can recover a significant portion of that cost by selling your books.

• Sometimes campus bookstores will buy back textbooks, but many schools also allow independent companies to set up pop-up stores at the end of the semester. You can also check local secondhand bookstores to see if they purchase used books.
• To increase your chances of selling your books (or getting a good price), make sure to take good care of them throughout the semester, avoiding writing in them or marking up pages.

Become an organization expert. It's difficult to succeed academically (or in anything) if your workspace is a chaotic mess. Dedicate time to developing your organizational skills and offer your services to classmates, or even to your professors.

• Offer to help clients organize their paper and digital files, and teach them how to sort and categorize their work so they can manage it independently in the future.

Start a beauty service in your dorm room (or offer home visits). If you're skilled at nails, hairstyling, or makeup, consider offering your services to classmates, especially before major events like sorority rush or Valentine’s Day.

• Survey local salon prices and set your rates low enough to remain profitable, while still affordable for your classmates.

Start a snack shop. It’s no secret that college students love snacking! If you’re good at baking (or even just researching packaged snack foods), take advantage of your classmates' endless hunger.

• Distribute flyers with mouth-watering pictures of your baked goods, or visit libraries and study areas during peak times like midterms or finals week.
• If you're a night owl, you’ll likely notice students wandering around looking for snacks from midnight to dawn on Fridays and Saturdays (or even Thursdays at some “party schools”). However, if you decide to cater to the late-night crowd, teaming up with a partner is a wise and safer approach.

Set up a recycling station in your dorm room. If you're in a state that accepts cans and bottles for cash, you can easily make some money by collecting and returning soda cans.

• Consider investing in a large plastic trash bin, lining it with a thick garbage bag, and decorating it with a sign that says, “Please drop soda cans here!” Place it outside your dorm room, and all you’ll need to do is sort the cans before taking them to the recycling center.
• Make sure this doesn’t violate your dorm’s rules. If it’s allowed, you can also check the recycling bins placed around campus to collect cans from there too.

Look for tips-based jobs. For college students, quick cash is a necessity. Search for part-time jobs that can help you earn money quickly after your shifts.

• Serving or bartending at a restaurant, valet parking at a hotel, food delivery (usually requires your own vehicle and insurance), or street performing are great options.

Look for part-time work at local stores. Head downtown and check out the businesses in your area. You might be able to find a part-time job that fits your class schedule.

• While it’s important to regularly check for job postings, not all businesses advertise this way. You might have better luck asking in person about job opportunities.
• Always bring a resume with you and dress professionally when visiting a store for the first time. Don’t stop by straight from the gym! That look won’t leave a good impression!

Use a temp agency to find jobs. You can simplify your job search by leveraging a temp agency. They can filter job listings for you and have connections with local businesses.

• Although the agency will take a portion of your pay, temp jobs tend to pay well, and you’ll know exactly when you’ll be free to study.
• One benefit of using a temp agency is that you can decline a job if you have a particularly busy week or month at school.

Become a babysitter or nanny for local families. If you're responsible or have a knack for looking after children, babysitting can be a steady job for you.

• Research the going rates in your area; as a student, you can often command a higher wage, especially if you’re studying education, psychology, nursing, or pre-med, and have certifications like CPR and first aid. In some cities, you can earn up to $15 per hour.

Consider registering with a professional babysitting service. These companies screen and background-check their babysitters. Many parents feel more secure knowing their babysitter has been pre-vetted by a trusted service.

Negotiate for extra work to boost your pay. If you’re already spending time babysitting, you can increase your earnings by offering additional household services.

• For example, you can offer to help with laundry or dishes for an additional fee (which could be as much as $10) on top of your regular babysitting rate.

Work with children in other ways. If babysitting isn’t for you, you can still earn money by tutoring or volunteering to work with children in elementary or middle schools.

• Reach out to local schools to inquire if they need your services or if they have part-time positions available to work with kids.
• You can also explore similar opportunities at local organizations such as YMCA or YWCA.

Make money with outdoor work. If you're young, fit, and enjoy being outdoors, working in gardens and parks might be the perfect fit for you.

• Be ready to switch services as the seasons change: you can mow lawns in warmer months and switch to shoveling snow when it gets cold.
• If you live in an area with lots of snow, investing in a snow blower can be a smart decision. If you're an early riser, you can make money by clearing snow off cars in the early morning before people head to work. You’ll likely find plenty of customers around your neighborhood or apartment complex.

Make the most of having a car. If you own a car, have insurance, and a clean driving record, there are plenty of ways to make your car work for you.

• You could look for jobs such as newspaper delivery, giving rides to classmates (to the airport, running errands, or attending off-campus appointments), or even start your own delivery service. For instance, you could get paid to buy groceries for people who can’t leave home, or pick up essentials for their pantry.
• If you own a truck, you probably know that (or your truck knows that!) it’s in high demand, especially during move-in/move-out days: advertise your moving service – for a fee, of course!

House sitting. Do you know anyone who’s planning a long vacation, or perhaps your professor mentioned a trip abroad during their sabbatical? If so, you might be the perfect candidate for a house-sitting job.

• It’s a great gig: typically, all you need to do is keep an eye on the house, collect the mail, water the plants, tidy the yard if needed, and possibly take care of pets. Plus, you get to stay in a place that’s probably much nicer than your own dorm for a few days or even weeks.

Look for house-sitting opportunities through your network. Let your family, friends, and professors know that you’re available for house-sitting jobs. It’s usually best to find opportunities through your friends' connections (or colleagues, or the bosses of your friends' parents, etc.).

• Close friends and family might expect you to do this for free, and could feel uncomfortable if you ask for payment.

Donate blood and/or plasma. Why not provide a valuable service to others while getting paid for it? Depending on whether you donate blood or plasma, you can typically earn $20-45 per donation.

• However, you must meet certain criteria before you're allowed to donate, and there are limits to how often you can donate.
• Be sure to read the Red Cross guidelines carefully before checking in at the medical facility or blood donation center where you'll be donating.

Selling gently used clothes to consignment shops. Take a good look at your wardrobe. How often do you wear what’s in there? How many items still fit you? Are they still in style? You might find you’ve got some decent cash waiting for you after clearing out your closet.

• Pick out the clothes that are still in good condition, making sure they’re clean and wrinkle-free, then take them to a local consignment shop. You should leave the shop with cash in hand. Try not to spend that money on new clothes right then and there—unless, of course, that’s exactly why you wanted the extra money!

Sell your stuff online. If there’s no good consignment shop nearby (or if you think you can earn more by selling it yourself), consider selling your items online. Craigslist and eBay are popular platforms where you can try to make some money.

• Think about things like clothes, shoes, handbags, workout equipment, and/or electronics. As long as they’re in good condition, almost anything can find a buyer.
• Be sure to take clear photos of the items and include a full, detailed description. If you have warranty information or manuals for the items, including those could help you sell it faster.

Hold a yard sale. You can set up a sale right in your own yard (or driveway, or garage). Many neighborhoods have bustling yard sale scenes, and you don’t need to do much to attract bargain hunters.

• Hand out flyers around your neighborhood and remember to place an ad in the local paper if they allow listings for yard sales.
• Be open to haggling with buyers, and don’t price your items too high. At best, you’ll probably get about 25% of what you originally paid for the items.

Write articles online. If you have a knack for writing, there are plenty of opportunities for you to write (or edit others’ articles) online.

• Look for freelance writing and editing gigs. Pay for these jobs can vary widely: you might get paid per word, receive a flat rate for a project, or be paid by the hour. However, in most cases, you won’t retain ownership of your articles or earn royalties. Even so, freelance work like this will build your portfolio and help you make valuable connections that could lead to more stable career opportunities down the line.

Start your own blog or website. If you want to keep your writing to yourself and write about topics you care about, consider starting your own website or blog. If you manage to build a strong following, you can start earning money through advertisements.

• You won’t just earn a few cents for every click on the ads on your site. With enough followers, this can eventually become a steady income stream for you.

Create a YouTube channel. If you prefer visual media and are good at making funny videos or sharing valuable information, you can earn money by starting a YouTube channel with ads.

• Check out related posts from Mytour to learn how to earn money on YouTube

Turn your hobbies into a business. Are you into DIY projects? Can you knit, crochet, make furniture, or create handmade jewelry? If so, you can find a great customer base by opening a shop on platforms like eBay or Etsy.

• You’ll need a PayPal account, a good camera to take high-quality photos of your crafts, and a system to organize your orders.

Get paid for administrative tasks. If you have basic computer skills and don’t mind repetitive work, you could find jobs like stuffing envelopes, data entry, or home-based marketing roles.

• These jobs are often flexible and can be done in your spare time, with minimal training required by employers.

Make the most of your time online. If you spend a lot of time browsing the web or shopping online, why not turn that time into something profitable? Many companies will pay you small amounts to take surveys (like iPoll.com), download apps, or listen to music.

• The money you earn might be small—just a few cents to a few dollars per task—but over time, it adds up, and it will make you feel less guilty when you treat yourself to that expensive latte.

Design an app. The app design industry offers many ways to make money. If you have an idea for a great app that provides entertainment or helps people organize their lives or learning in innovative ways, you could be sitting on a potentially profitable idea.

• There are many guides that can offer useful advice, and you can even create an app without prior experience. Check out related posts from Mytour for tips on how to create an app.

Renting a room. If you decide to rent a private room outside of campus, you can save a significant amount by finding a roommate to share the rent and utility costs.

• Be careful when choosing a roommate – it's a good idea to look within your circle of friends or classmates. Remember to create a written agreement specifying how the bills will be paid, and ensure you're not violating the terms of the lease by adding another person to the household.

Save money on textbooks. Textbooks can be a huge expense for any student, but buying all your books upfront may not be the best idea. There are several ways to save hundreds of dollars on textbooks throughout your college years.

• Once you have your reading list, start by checking the prices at the campus bookstore, but you might find them cheaper elsewhere.

Buy used books. You often have the option of purchasing used books (or even new ones at a lower price) online or from second-hand bookstores, where they usually buy back textbooks from students at the end of the semester.

• If professors use the same textbook for multiple semesters, you may be able to find older editions at a lower price. You might even find them for free at your campus library or a local library.

Consider using an older edition. If you're assigned a newer edition of a textbook, consider purchasing an older edition (which is often cheaper). Publishers make very few changes between editions, and the only difference might be page numbers or occasionally some additional readings.

• Before deciding to buy, check with your professor to see if the older edition will still be suitable for your course.

Rent or share textbooks. You can save a lot by renting textbooks at much lower rates, or by teaming up with a classmate to buy an expensive textbook together.

• If sharing, make sure to create a clear schedule for using the book.

Only carry cash. By paying for things in cash, you can limit your spending. Put away your credit or debit cards and only bring them out when absolutely necessary.

• When withdrawing money, try to take out enough to cover a month’s expenses if possible. This way, you avoid multiple ATM visits and the $3 withdrawal fee each time, which can add up.
• However, be careful not to carry all your cash when leaving the house. Only bring what you think you’ll need.

Save on food at school. If you live on campus, you may be required to buy a meal plan. If that’s the case, choose the most economical one, based on how often you actually use the dining hall.

• Once you've selected your plan, make the most of it: avoid skipping meals to prevent having to buy extra food later. If allowed, take home fruit or leftovers to snack on during the day.
• Additionally, keep an eye out for free food events on campus.
• If your courses involve catering or banquet services, you can often take home some of the food for free.

Don’t purchase a meal plan. If possible, you can save money by skipping the meal plan and buying your own groceries instead.

• Shop at discount stores or buy in bulk at places like Costco. While it may seem expensive upfront, buying in large quantities can save you money over time. You could also team up with friends to buy together and save even more.

Save money on clothing. Looking good doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Consider simplifying your wardrobe by focusing on timeless, versatile pieces that you can mix and match easily.

• Shop for second-hand clothes or only buy items when they’re on sale. You can also trade clothes with friends to keep your wardrobe fresh without spending extra money.

Swap services with friends. Are you spending more than you'd like on monthly salon visits or haircuts? Do you have a friend who can't resist a pastry from the coffee shop, or someone paying for personal training? Think about what you and your friends are spending money on and explore ways to exchange services to save.

• For example, you could offer to bake your friend a fresh batch of pastries in exchange for them doing your hair for an important appointment.

Cut down on commuting costs. Traveling to school (or running errands around town) can get quite expensive. To save on gas, insurance, and parking fees, try to use public transportation whenever possible.

• Your school may offer discounted bus passes for students, or you could arrange to carpool with classmates to save on commuting expenses.

Reduce luxury expenses. You might feel like you can't live without cable TV or your daily Starbucks fix, but be honest with yourself. Maybe you just need the caffeine, not a $4 latte.

• Consider brewing coffee at home, cutting cable TV in favor of cheaper or free alternatives like Netflix or Hulu, and postponing purchases of the latest tech gadgets.
• By cutting back on luxuries, you'll save money, and you'll also learn to appreciate them more when you're able to enjoy them again.

Take advantage of student discounts. Before heading to a restaurant or museum, take a moment to check if they offer student discounts. Often, you can enjoy free entry or significant discounts with your student ID card.

Seek out free entertainment options. How much are you spending on movie tickets, bar visits, or clubbing? While socializing and relaxing during your free time is important, you don’t need to spend a lot of money (or any at all!) to enjoy yourself.

• Make sure to check out flyers and posters around campus that advertise free events or interesting talks. You can catch theater performances, concerts, lectures by prominent thinkers, or attend totally free student parties sponsored by various organizations.

Consider joining one or more campus clubs. In addition to meeting new and interesting people, some clubs offer regular activities (such as movie nights) or even organized trips during breaks.

• These activities are often partially, or even fully, funded through donations or fundraising events.

• Remember to prioritize your studies. The main purpose of education is to equip you for a good job, so don’t stray too far from your academic goals.
• Don’t promote skills you don’t actually possess. Never exaggerate your abilities on a job application.
• Respect the law. Don’t risk your future for quick and easy money, even if you think you could do better than Walter White!
• If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is!