27 Ways to Earn Money in College Without Working in a Fast Food Restaurant
You have plenty of options, from part-time jobs to apps and websites that allow you to make money online from your dorm or apartment.
1. View Movie Trailers
Most of you are already aware of InboxDollars, but did you know that it will pay you to watch movie trailers, celebrity videos, breaking news, and a variety of other videos? You’ll also receive a $5 bonus just for signing up.
To earn your money, you must watch all of the shows in a specific playlist, so be prepared. Before you begin watching, InboxDollars informs you of the length of the playlist, which can range from a few minutes to about a half hour.
The availability is subject to change, but watching these videos can earn you up to $225 per month! Please read our full InboxDollars review.
2. Share Your Opinions
You won’t make a lot of money doing online surveys, but you won’t have to put in a lot of time or effort either. You might not even have to leave your dorm room.
MyPoints is one of our favorite survey sites. It compensates you with gift cards for taking polls and surveys. It’s a fun way to kill time while waiting in long lines at the dining hall. When you complete your first five surveys, you’ll receive a $5 bonus.
Then there’s Swagbucks, a reader favorite that offers a variety of ways to make money other than taking surveys. You’ll also receive a $5 bonus if you sign up and earn 2,500 SB in your first 60 days.
It doesn’t get much easier than this to make a little money in your spare time between classes.
3. Determine whether you can obtain more money from this company.
Here’s the deal: If you don’t use Aspiration’s debit card, you’re wasting money. And who doesn’t need some extra money right now?
Yep. Every time you swipe your Aspiration debit card, you can earn up to 5% back.
Do you need to buy groceries? Extra money.
Do you need to fill up the tank? Bam. Even more extra money.
You were going to buy these items anyway, so why not make some extra cash in the process?
Enter your email address and bank account information to see how much money you can get with your free Aspiration account. And don’t be concerned. Your funds are FDIC-insured and protected by military-grade encryption. That’s nerd speak for “this is completely safe.”
4. Purchase Real Estate (Even as a College Student)
Want to experiment with real estate without becoming a landlord? We discovered a company that can assist you in doing so.
GROUNDFLOOR is a one-of-a-kind financial product for individual investors that allows both non-accredited and accredited investors to participate in real estate investment loans on a fractional basis. We open the door to real estate-backed short-term, high-yield returns. On a six- to 12-month term, typical loans returned 12 percent per year.
Brian Dally and Nick Bhargava founded GROUNDFLOOR in 2013. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has a rapidly expanding team dedicated to reformatting and opening private capital markets for the benefit of individual investors and the investments they fund.
The only way to invest in real estate is with cash. In fact, some of the most powerful players in the real estate industry make loans secured by real estate.
GROUNDFLOOR has developed a platform that allows investors to earn interest on real estate-backed loans in the same way that large banks do.
The company makes short-term, high-interest loans to real estate investors and home builders for residential property renovation or construction. It then sells shares of these loans to investors on its platform for as little as $10.
Because of the low minimum investment, investors can easily diversify across several loans, which typically have terms ranging from six to twelve months and annualized returns ranging from 6% to 15%.
5. Get Paid to Work Out
Bottom line: HealthyWage will pay you to lose weight.
You’re not only getting healthier, but you’re also making money. How about that for inspiration?
This is how it works:
- Sign up after reading our full HealthyWage review.
- Define your goal weight and the time frame you’ll give yourself to reach it.
- Make a monthly wager of $20 to $500 on yourself.
You could win up to $10,000 depending on how much you have to lose, how long you give yourself to do it, and how much money you put on the table.
Do you have any doubts that it will work? Teresa Suarez, for example, lost 68 pounds while earning over $2,400.
6. Partner with Lyft
Need a fun, flexible way to make money while meeting new people?
Consider driving with Lyft!
The demand for ride-sharing is skyrocketing and shows no signs of abating. To qualify, you must be at least 21 years old, have one year of driving experience, pass a background check, and own a car manufactured in 2007 or later. You can drive during the day, at night, or on weekends — it’s entirely up to you!
7. Be Rewarded for Your Good Grades
Don’t have much free time outside of school?
Check with the dean of your college or university to see if there are any incentives for good grades. Some companies actually pay cash bonuses to college students who maintain a high GPA.
8. Act as a Human Guinea Pig
From medical tests to market research, being a test subject can be an interesting, educational, and, most importantly, financially rewarding way to spend your time.
Here are two resources to assist you in getting started:
- Sign up for Just Another Lab Rat text alerts to stay up to date on the latest research opportunities.
- Search the Clinical Trials database for studies.
Keep an eye out for opportunities at your university as well. These are typically quick jobs that pay $10 to $20 for less than an hour’s work.
9. Purchase and resell textbooks
You had no idea how much textbooks cost when you were in high school, did you? Ouch. You’re aware that you can earn some money by selling your textbooks at the end of the semester.
However, you can go beyond that and start profiting from textbook sales.
Rather than relying on your own collection, purchase textbooks online from sites such as eBay and resell them on sites such as BookScouter.
Before you go shopping, look up a book’s ISBN on BookScouter to see how much it’s worth. That way, you’ll only buy books that you know you can sell for more than you paid for them.
The profit margins on textbook reselling aren’t huge, but if you average $5 per book and sell five per day, you could earn $750 per month. That’s a fantastic side hustle!
10. Make Money Saving a Team Sport
If you enjoy friendly competition, start assembling a team to join you on Ibotta, a free app that gives you cash back on almost everything. Yes, if you’re over the age of 21, you can even get money back from the bar.
If you haven’t already signed up for Ibotta, do so now. You’ll receive a $5 bonus after uploading your first receipt.
Then begin assembling your team. You can earn a $5 bonus by referring friends. The larger your team, the more shopping bonuses you’re likely to earn. What about passive income? Furthermore, Ibotta compares your earnings to those of your friends, making saving money a friendly competition.
Consider how much you can earn if your entire dorm or sorority participates!
11. Work as a Tutor
Are you looking for on-campus employment? Have you ever thought about becoming a tutor?
Look for programs at your university or specific departments that will pay you to work with other students.
Consider becoming an online tutor for greater flexibility. You can browse tutoring jobs and set your own rates using a platform like Wyzant.
12. Discover Money You Didn’t Know You Had
According to The New York Times, state treasuries in the United States have more than $43 billion in unclaimed funds. Just sitting there! I’m looking forward to playing lost and found with you.
Check with the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators to see if you have any unclaimed funds. Clicking your state on the map will take you to the appropriate search site for your state. (Warning: There are several imposters out there.) Make certain you’re looking for legitimate ones.)
Kelli Howell, a Penny Hoarder reader, took our advice, did a quick search, and discovered unclaimed money in her husband’s name.
“I saw his name and middle initial as I was scrolling through,” she says. He was raised in Tampa, so she asked him to confirm his old Florida address. Mark Howell was, indeed, entitled to $56 from a “matured insurance policy.”
Isn’t that good for an unexpected check?
13. Work as a Virtual Employee
Look online if you want more consistent work and income while still having the flexibility to get to class and rest after pulling all-nighters.
Don’t know where to begin your search for a remote job? Use ZipRecruiter. Clicking here will take you to a list of geo-targeted work-from-home job openings.
Because you don’t yet have a degree and aren’t looking for full-time work, we recommend you look into the following positions:
- Virtual recruiter: Use your networking skills to match employees or freelancers with suitable positions. You’ll post open positions, screen resumes, conduct preliminary interviews, and negotiate salaries.
- Assistant virtual: Are you extremely well-organized? Get paid to assist a busy professional in staying on track. You can put your organizational and communication skills to use by assisting with data entry, social media management, website maintenance, research, and customer service.
- Transcriber: Do you know how to type quickly? Transcribing is a job that requires little to no prior experience and has flexible hours and workloads. The work can be demanding, but the pay is attractive: $15 to $25 per hour for general transcription, and more if you specialize in legal or medical transcription.
14. Promote Your Freelance Skills
Freelancing is a fantastic, flexible way to supplement your income. You determine your own rates and working hours. It can also be a great way to gain experience and network with potential employers before graduating.
You can find virtual gigs as a graphic designer, writer, editor, or computer programmer on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and other freelance websites.
15. Sell Art Supplies on Etsy
Perhaps you enjoy crafting but lack the time to knit scarves, quilt blankets, or cross-stitch sassy sayings to sell. Here’s some good news: selling craft kits and supplies can earn you money.
Supplies, kits, and patterns can be found at thrift stores and garage sales. Find good deals and resell them to Etsy crafters. Consider Janet Berry-Johnson, who made an extra $200 per month by selling supplies on Etsy.
16. Get Paid to Do Small Tasks on Amazon
Have you heard of Mechanical Turk from Amazon?
Make an account and begin completing “human intelligence tasks.” These tasks include everything from filling out surveys to transcribing interviews to creating spreadsheets. You have the freedom to do whatever you want.
Penny Hoarder contributor Michael Naab revealed that he earns $500 per month on Mechanical Turk.
17. Braid Horse Manes
Do your friends constantly request that you do their hair? Make a French braid or a fancy knot out of it?
You can, however, get paid to use your skills — on horses.
On weekends, Kat Tretina braided horse manes for shows. She had no prior experience and spent her first $20 on a supply kit. Then I started saving $1,000 per month.
There are some small shows in the fall and winter, but the spring and summer are the busiest.
And, because the work is almost entirely done on weekends, you should have no trouble fitting it into your class schedule.
18. The Modern Way to Assist Neighbors with Odd Jobs
Side jobs and odd jobs are fantastic ways to supplement your income without committing to a full-time job or a set schedule.
Sure, you could always go the traditional route and ask your parents’ friends if they needed help with anything. However, thanks to modern technology and our obsession with the sharing economy, gigs have become a much more effective way of making a living.
Connect with people in your area who need help with cleaning, assembling furniture, or installing a new faucet using an app like TaskRabbit.
If you’re not particularly handy around the house, you can use Instacart or Postmates to deliver groceries and takeout orders to people who don’t have the time, resources, or ability to do it themselves.
19. Become an On-Demand Grandchild
The Papa app connects college students with senior citizens who require assistance with their daily activities. It provides companionship as well as a steady side gig along the way.
“The two most lonely generations are older adults and college-age individuals,” said Founder and CEO Andrew Parker.
“… We can break down barriers and form real relationships by connecting these different generations.”
Only college students are eligible for these part-time positions. Aside from that, no prior experience is required, but students studying nursing, medicine, or psychology will receive bonus points. Other requirements for Papa Pals include a dependable four-door vehicle and adequate auto insurance. All applicants must pass a thorough background check, and the approval process can take two to ten business days.
Papa Pals are paid between $11 and $12 per hour, with additional compensation for gas and tolls. The app is currently available in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
20. Participate in Your Favorite TV Game Show
Do you feel like you’d crush the contestants on “Jeopardy!” or “Wheel of Fortune” every evening?
You can participate in these shows more easily than you might think, and it can be a fun way to supplement your income.
To get started, read our complete guide to becoming a game show contestant for information on how to compete on “Jeopardy!,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” “The Price is Right,” and other shows.
21. Settlements of Claim Class Actions
Class-action lawsuits are a simple way to supplement your income.
Heck, you’re probably already a part of a class-action suit that you’re not even aware of. They occur more frequently than you may realize.
When we hear about open settlements, we post them here, so keep an eye out.
Filling out an online form is usually all that is required to file a claim. Some settlements require proof of purchase of a relevant product or service as well.
The amount you receive is determined by the number of claimants included in the case settlement and the amount of the settlement. From California hotels, you could get anything from free tuna to a $5,000 check.
22. Amazon Flex Package Delivery
You know how you can order something from Amazon and have it delivered the same day? It’s not a trick of the light — it’s your friendly Amazon Flex delivery partner.
You will deliver goods to customers via Amazon.com, Prime Now, AmazonFresh, and Amazon Restaurants as an Amazon Flex delivery partner.
As a Flex associate, you can earn between $18 and $25 per hour, depending on how much you can deliver. It processes payments via direct deposit on Tuesdays and Fridays, so you should see your money on Wednesdays, Saturdays, or both.
One of the most appealing aspects of this part-time job is the ability to create your own schedule by using the Flex app to claim delivery blocks (or shifts) that you want to work.
To be eligible, you must have a phone with the Flex app and a car. Any car will suffice for delivering Prime Now orders; however, if you’re delivering for Amazon.com, you’ll need a four-door midsize sedan or larger. Bikes are permitted in some areas.
Depending on the need, the program recruits in various areas across the country. If your city isn’t listed when you go to sign up, you can always join the waitlist.
23. Participate in Free Scratch-off Games for a Chance to Win Real Money
You know how it feels when you find a $20 bill in the pocket of your jeans from last week? That’s what a lucky day feels like. That is exactly how the Lucky Day app works.
You could win up to $10,000 by scratching digital scratch-off tickets or $100,000 by playing the daily lotto. You’ll also have numerous chances to win gift cards to popular retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Target.
There are no in-app purchases and everything is free to play. Since 2014, the company has given away more than $3 million in prizes.
No, it’s not guaranteed money, but it’s a fun way to kill time when you’re bored and, who knows, you might hit a big one!
24. Sell Your Instagrammable Photos
Making money may have just gotten a lot easier if you have a smartphone and a photographic eye. Oh, and you’ll need access to marketable scenery as well.
You can turn your smartphone photos into cash using the Foap app.
This is how it works:
- Create an account after downloading the free app.
- Upload a high-quality photo to Foap’s marketplace.
- Someone pays $10 for the license to your photograph. You earn $5.
If your photo sells 20 times, you’ll make $5 each time, for a total of $100 — all for about five minutes of work. Isn’t that cool?
25. Act as a Mock Juror Using Your Laptop
Who these days isn’t obsessed with true-crime podcasts? Anyone interested in “My Favorite Murder”?
You can serve as an online mock juror through a site like eJury if you want an inside look at what happens when a case goes to court.
As a mock juror, you will examine evidence such as documents, videos, and photographs. You could decide whether the mock-innocent or mock-guilty is innocent or guilty. What is the goal? Assist the lawyers in preparing for the big day.
You can earn between $5 and $10 per case.
25. Make Money by Selling Your Clutter
Living a minimalist lifestyle is all the rage right now, so why not take advantage of it?
Begin by taking a close look at your possessions. What exactly do you require? What can you do to make money?
- Clothes: Why do you keep clothes that you haven’t worn in a year? Try selling them on an online marketplace like Letgo to people in your area. It takes about five minutes to set up an account and list an item, and it’s completely free.
- Books: Is your bookshelf gathering dust? We love books just as much as you do, but you can find out if yours are worth anything by listing them on Amazon. With Amazon Trade-In, you can exchange your used textbooks and other items, such as electronics, for an Amazon gift card.
26. Become A Nanny
Whether you want to look after school-aged children on Saturday nights or assist tired parents after school, you can use your child care experience to earn money.
Look first among your friends and acquaintances, as parents are more likely to trust someone they know. Ask friends if they know anyone else who could benefit from a few hours to themselves, whether it’s to go grocery shopping or to the gym.
You can also use Care.com to let parents find you. Rates on the platform will vary by city, but according to Care.com‘s 2018 Cost of Care Survey, the average rate for babysitters in 2017 was $16.20 per hour.
27. Profit from Your Smartphone Addiction
Let’s face it: breaking the phone habit is difficult. So, rather than wasting your time, you might as well make some money while scrolling.
Download AppKarma, a free rewards app that allows you to earn cash and gift cards by playing games and watching videos.
AppKarma can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store by Android users.
iPhone owners: AppKarma is not available in the app store, but it can be accessed through your mobile browser. To access the AppKarma web app, navigate to the link from your iOS device. To get started, complete the first offer (and earn 100 points!).
Bonus: When you sign up for Penny Hoarders, you’ll receive 500 bonus points, as well as an email with a special promo code worth another 750 bonus points.
Karma Points can be redeemed for gift cards to Amazon, PayPal, iTunes, Target, Starbucks, and Walmart, among other retailers.