For many students, having enough money to go through college is always a challenge, which is no surprise. With all the school expenses and massive student loans, it’s not surprising that many students must find ways to make extra cash.
Even though you have to make extra money to aid your education, you also have to make sure it doesn’t affect your grades.
There are a few ways to overcome this challenge. The first option is to work when the semester ends. Secondly, you can work as a freelancer where you can work according to your schedule.
In the worst-case scenario, you can earn enough to cover your expenses and books. At best, you can turn your gig into a legitimate business by the time you graduate.
Here are some authentic ways to make extra cash in college.
1. Check If You Qualify For A Work-Study
If you want to work while in school, one of the initial things to do is check if you’re eligible for a work study. Usually, work-study comes as part of your financial aid package. So keep in mind that not everyone can qualify for the aid.
If you want to find out if you qualify, check your financial aid package or get in touch with your school’s financial assistance office. If you’re eligible, you can find numerous on-campus jobs. For example, you can assist various departments and offices, work in the dining hall, etc.
Usually, these types of jobs are part-time, so you can have enough time to concentrate on your studies. However, if you don’t qualify, there are still ways to get a job on campus. In addition, some colleges offer a limited number of non-work-study jobs for students.
You’ll have to check your school’s site for job listings or even your local job board.
2. Take Surveys Online
One of the simplest ways to earn extra cash is to take surveys online. And you can find numerous legit survey sites willing to pay you for your service. So what’s involved? Most surveys usually take between 15 minutes to an hour.
Most of the survey sites pay you in points which denotes a dollar value. So the key is to build up your points. That way, you can cash in your points for money.
But you have to proceed with caution. Not all of these survey sites are equally reputable. We recommend checking out Fetch Rewards, Swagbucks, and MyPoints. These are good options to start with.
The points for these surveys are typically a few dollars only, so your earning potential is pretty limited. However, it can still be a great way to earn a little extra income to pay your rent or a pizza.
3. Sell Your Textbooks Online
Textbooks are costly, and there’s a high chance you have a few for your classes. Fortunately, you can sell your old textbooks to make extra cash. You have several ways to sell your used books online.
The first place you can check is your campus bookstore. Most times, you can rely on them to buy back the textbooks they sold to you. However, if you want to make good money, we recommend selling on bookselling sites.
Campus bookstores can’t provide you with a significant offer for your textbooks. But with sites like BookDeal.com, BookScouter.com, TextbookRush.com, etc., you can make a reasonable income.
Also, if you want to venture into bookselling part-time, you can include other books which also sell. For example, you can search for rare books, first-editions, etc., which can also bring you good cash.
4. Consider Tutoring Services
Are you good at writing, chemistry, history, or any other subject? Then, you can offer your services to your colleagues as a tutor. If your university or college has tutoring services, you can apply to work there.
If that won’t work, you can offer personal tutoring services to students who are struggling on a topic. You can advertise your service online or post flyers around your campus.
If you want to teach younger students, numerous public schools hire college students to assist with homework after school or tutor students.
5. Apply For Scholarships
If you’re good in school and searching for additional funding, one way to do that is to get a scholarship. There are several different types of scholarships that you can apply for, including students studying specific subjects, students with good grades, and students from minority groups.
Depending on the policies in your school, any scholarships you qualify for may be deducted from your financial aid. So you need to find out from your school’s financial aid office to know how a scholarship will affect your assistance before you proceed with it.
Also, keep in mind that most scholarships require that you use them for specific, school-related expenses.
Final Thoughts
Even though college can be tough to go through if you don’t have enough funds, you can find ways to get extra income. It doesn’t matter if you have a tight schedule in school. You can always find a job that fits your timetable.
All you have to do is come up with a plan and proceed with it.
