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How to Make Money While in College: 12 Ingenious Hacks for Students

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Written by CB Community

College certainly comes with a lot of added expenses, regardless of your university’s location. High tuition costs and student loans are two of the major factors that can dilute your finances. For hardworking students, however, there are limitless ways to earn additional money without compromising your grades.

In addition to work from home jobs, here are some ways to make money while in college.

Work Outside

1. Work as a dog walker.

If you don’t have any allergies, dog walking is something that college students can do in their free time. One way you can find these types of contract and odd jobs is through online job forums. These sites allow you to register quickly and easily, and afford you the chance to earn from $15 to $60 USD per hour.

2. Work as a babysitter.

Babysitting is among the simplest part-time jobs that you can do during college. Although you can easily find babysitting jobs through your friends or family, there might also be groups near you that can inform you of new opportunities. The pay may vary, depending on the family you work with, but this stint usually earns an average of $17 to $20 USD per hour.

3. Apply as a Lyft or Uber driver.

If you own a 4-door car and you are above 21 years old, registering as a Lyft or an Uber driver is an excellent source of income. The income you’ll earn from this will vary mostly on your location and how often you’ll work.

4. Work as a server in a restaurant.

It’s a rather obvious option among college students, yet a lucrative one. The income you’ll get will mostly vary according to your location and the restaurant, but the average pay for this work is about $5.20 USD, and with tips, that could reach around $16 USD per hour. If you have a flexible schedule, this type of position could be very profitable.

5. Work as a delivery person.

While you may have ordered from Seamless or Postmates in the past, maybe now is the time to consider working for them. You can earn an average of $13 USD per hour, plus more from tips when delivering food. The registration process is rather simple, so you can start making money fast in your free time.

Work In-Campus

6. Be a resident advisor.

Some students are able to make a decent income by serving as a resident advisor, In addition to this, most schools also provide tuition discounts, meal stipends, and free or highly-discounted housing. The money you can save from on-campus housing can add up as well, and can even be used to help pay off your student loans.

7. Consider a position as a research assistant.

If you enjoy research, serving as a research assistant to a professor at your college can be an excellent source of income. This job entails analyzing and gathering data, laboratory work, organizing records, collecting library research and researching literature. Research assistants usually earn from $13 USD to $23 USD per hour.

8. Be a tutor.

This type of work may be common, but this job may provide a lucrative income. If you are good in any subject, you can assist other students who aren’t doing as good, if they are willing to pay for your time. Sometimes, other students in lower years may also need your skills. The fees can vary depending on the subject, grade level, or location of your school but usually, tutoring may give you up to $18 USD per hour.

9. Work as a teacher’s assistant.

If you have excelled in a subject, impressed your teacher in your classes, or have an excellent academic standing, you may enjoy working as a teacher’s assistant. This position allows you to further deepen your knowledge in the subject and assist other students, all while earning. The minimum wage to make in this position is $13 USD per hour.

10. Look for scholarships.

Even if you are already enjoying financial aid or a college scholarship, there are other scholarships that can further reduce your financial burden. Scholarships may provide you with anywhere from $500 to $1000 USD, which can be a significant amount. These scholarships can range from academic to first-generation scholarships.

Work Anywhere

11. Work as a transcriptionist.

Various websites will pay you to transcribe audio files. Some sites will even pay $15 USD per hour for this kind of work. Popular transcription websites include Go Transcript and TranscribeMe, which will pay you per minute of transcription work.

12. Be a freelancer.

If you have writing or web design experience, online freelancing is another way to earn extra money while establishing your portfolio. Although there are thousands of companies to do freelance work with, a very popular option is UpWork. Various jobs pay by the hour at around $15 USD to $20 USD. While other jobs pay may vary considerably, you can get paid more than $1000 USD with this type of position.

Final Thoughts

College is a challenge, and it may drain your bank account, but there are many ways to earn money. Some of these jobs can be done inside the campus, while others may require you to go outside. If you have spare hours and willingness to work in between, you can survive college with extra money in the bank.

For more tips on all things college, visit the other blogs on College Basics.

About the author

CB Community

Passionate members of the College Basics community that include students, essay writers, consultants and beyond. Please note, while community content has passed our editorial guidelines, we do not endorse any product or service contained in these articles which may also include links for which College Basics is compensated.