Almost every student struggles when it comes to finances. If you are one, you can still earn some extra cash with a little effort. Here’s a list of ways about how to make money as a college student.
A college student with perfectly managed finances is a myth. With books to buy, tuition fees to cover, and dorms to pay for, college students are always struggling for money, if not completely broke.
If you’re facing the same situation, we’ve got news for you. You can easily make an extra income as a college student to cover your expenses and indulge in a few luxuries as well.
We’re not just talking about modest jobs or making deliveries; there are many ways you can put your skills and your time to use and make money as a student.
Go through our list below if you want to know how to make money as a college student.
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How to Make Money as a College Student
We know what you’re thinking. It is difficult to make time for any side hustles while you’re in college. You barely make time to complete the existing list of tasks at hand.
That doesn’t mean you can’t make any extra money at all. Considering your schedule and skill set as a college student, we’ve listed down easy, flexible, and accessible ways that take no time to complete and pay well.
Check out our list to find out how to make money as a college student.
1. Take Online Surveys
Online surveys are one of the easiest ways to make money online. It neither requires an initial investment nor a specific skillset or extra effort.
You simply get paid to provide your opinions for various questions and make some side income for yourself. Besides cash, you can get profitable gift cards from your favorite brands.
Through these cards, you can get discounts on your favorite brands and retailers and save your money for other stuff. Most importantly, survey taking takes no time at all, making it an ideal side hustle for those looking for how to make money as a college student.
Here are some legit survey sites you should check out if you pick survey-taking as your regular side hustle.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is the most accessible survey platform if you’re wondering how to make money as a college student. It takes no time or money to sign-up on the forum, after which you can access multiple surveys to complete on the site.
A crucial aspect while signing up for Survey Junkie is to complete your user profile. Once you’re a member, you can provide further details about yourself to the platform by answering a few simple questions.
Consider completing your user profile over the weekend, and take surveys for the rest of the week. The platform uses the details to provide tailored survey offers for you.
While most survey sites would screen you out of surveys after you’re halfway through, Survey Junkie only shows you the ones you qualify for. This ultimately saves a lot of time, especially if you’re a busy college student.
You can get around 50-40 points on the website for taking a survey of 10-20 minutes. Along with that, you can participate in sweepstakes and refer the site to your friends to make more money.
For every 100 points you accumulate on the site, you’ll get $1. The best part is, the minimum redemption limit is only $5. You can quickly obtain cash payouts or select a gift card from their long list of partners after you earn at least $5.
LifePoints
For students looking for how to make money off surveys, LifePoints offers some of the highest paid surveys online.
It is a merger of two popular survey sites, namely My Survey and The Global Test Market, with more than 5 million users to date. You’ll get your first ten points on the platform immediately after you sign-up.
Unlike scam sites circulating on the internet, LifePoints is backed by legit market research platforms. This means apart from making money; you’ll influence policies and advertisement techniques for your favorite brands as well.
If you’re wondering how to make money as a college student, LifePoints is the ideal platform for you. That’s because it offers a user-friendly smartphone app to access surveys on the go.
This means you don’t have to wait until you get to your PC to start working. You can take surveys while waiting for the bus or while standing in line at the cafeteria.
2. Join Online Reward Sites
As a student, it is difficult to manage a part-time job alongside your studies. For those wondering how to make money without a job, online reward sites are the ultimate option.
These sites operate in a similar way to survey sites. Only here, you’ll get a vast selection of tasks to complete for money.
After you become a member, you can choose to complete any task you like and earn points on the platform. You can further redeem these rewards for cash prizes or gift cards to get discounts on your favorite stuff.
Here are some of the best online reward sites you should try out and cash your everyday screentime.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars is one of the pioneering sites when it comes to online rewards. The site has a wide array of tasks to complete for money. These include playing games, watching videos, reviewing products, surfing the web, and taking surveys.
No student can deny scrolling away on their phone during their free time. If you’re sailing in the same boat, you can use your daily screentime to earn money rather than waste it in vain by using InboxDollars.
The platform requires no sign-up fee, so you can become a member in minutes. After that, you can choose from the tasks available and start earning.
What we love about InboxDollars is its user-friendly interface. Beginners can easily find their way around the site and monitor their earnings at the same time.
Unlike other rewards sites, InboxDollars displays its rewards in dollars rather than points. This way, you can accumulate legit cash on the site and pay for your expenses.
MyPoints
MyPoints is another legit online reward site if you’re wondering how to make money as a college student. All you have to do is download the app on your computer and start earning without putting in extra effort from your side.
The platform offers points in exchange for shopping, playing games, watching ads, and providing product reviews. You simply have to conduct the tasks you already do online through this app and earn money.
It has an easy sign-up process, and you’ll get 100 points as soon as you become a member. After that, you can maximize your earnings on the platform by participating in their daily deals and referring your friends.
A fantastic aspect of MyPoints is its unique redemption options. Besides PayPal credit and gift cards, you can earn airline miles and United Mileage Plus points as well.
Daily Rewards
Daily Rewards is an online rewards site founded back in 2000. It’s the ultimate option for you if you’re looking at how to make money as a college student.
That’s because it doesn’t require any initial investment or extra effort. All you have to do is sign-up and conduct your daily online activities like playing games and watching videos.
Most importantly, the site gives you $5 just for signing up. After that, you’ll earn around $0.5-$2 for every task you complete.
Similarly, you can participate in offers and refer your friends to earn around $10-$100 on the website. This means if you spend even 15-20 minutes every day on the site, you can easily make enough to pay for your extra expenses as a student.
Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel
Neilsen is an online platform that pays you for merely downloading the app on your computer or mobile phone.
We know what you’re thinking; what’s in it for them? Well, this is a mobile research company that sells the information it receives about your mobile behavior. For example, how many calls you make in a day or how many messages you receive.
Don’t worry; the site does not spy on your personal information or drain out your phone battery. The downside is, it does not offer cash redemption options.
However, if you’re looking to make money as a college student, you can save money through this site by getting discounts on your favorite brands.
Fusion Cash
Fusion Cash is a legit online platform that lets you complete micro tasks for money. You can participate in opinion polls, play games, watch ads, and even provide product reviews for money.
The site is easy to use and completely free to sign-up. You’ll get some points on the site as a sign-up reward when you become a member. Similarly, you can participate in their daily offers to earn $2-$5 every day.
What makes it the ideal choice for those wondering how to make money as a college student are its cash prizes. It does not offer any gift card options to redeem your points.
Once you reach their minimum payout threshold of $25, you can get your earnings in cash through your bank account, check, or PayPal.
3. Become an Official Tester
College students are always indulging in new experiences. That’s why, for those who are wondering how to make money as a college student, testing new stuff is the ideal job.
You can get paid to test websites and apps and provide your feedback. This feedback helps developers solve glitches and improve their web products.
The best part is, you can even play games and test them out before they’re released. Many websites let you do testing work and pay by the hour.
These include popular testing portals like Test.io and User Testing. Depending on the products you test, your expertise, and the quality of your feedback, you can make anywhere from $5-$60 for every hour you spend on the platform.
You can earn particularly well if you succeed in finding a significant bug in the products you test.
4. Become a Social Media Manager
No one can enhance a brand’s social media presence better than college students. Most college students have Instagram and Facebook accounts teeming with followers.
Nowadays, any brand that doesn’t establish itself on social media ends up fading into the shadows. That’s why there are many companies out there that can use your expertise.
Start by looking for social media managing gigs on sites like Fiverr and Upwork. If you land a job, your responsibilities will include devising a complete brand identity and creating a strategy that makes the company relevant to its target users.
This will help the company increase its sales and gain popularity among potential customers. It’s an easy job for social media butterflies wondering how to make money as a college student.
5. Join Online Games Competitions
This will not only be fun but also fulfilling. During your free time, you can make this your hobby, or even a money-making hustle.
There are numerous online gaming sites that allow you to make real cash when you win. All you need is to choose your favorite game and hone your skills in it. After this, you can be competing in various head-to-head games and competitions for money rewards.
Here are some popular apps where you can get paid to play games.
TapChamps
Tapchamps is a popular online gaming community. It’s an Android app that connects game creators and players.
You can play games based on your interests and expertise. For game creators, this platform generates user traffic, player engagement, and advertisement. The app profits from the creators, and it shares some of that money with you.
You’ll have to fill in some details about yourself when you sign up. After that, the app will notify you about games that match your profile. With this, you can earn money by playing games you like.
Mistplay
Mistplay is another app dedicated to gamers. All you have to do is download it, and you’ll get a list of games you can choose from.
Once you start playing, you’ll get paid simply for the time you spend on the app.
Mistplay pays you in points that you can redeem in the form of gift cards. These gift cards can be used to get hard cash from Visa, or get discounts and offers at your favorite stores such as Amazon and Starbucks.
Besides that, the app has a referral program. You can get points for if your friends download the app and play through your link. Also, you can chat and compete with other gamers to make your experience more fun.
Want to learn more? Read the full Mistplay review for more information on the app.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars is another app that you can download to get paid playing games online. The app is absolutely free, and you can start playing as soon as you sign up. It also has a huge variety of games so you can choose the one that excites you the most.
Moreover, you can earn up to $5-$10 a week depending on the time you spend on the platform and the types of games you choose.
As you progress to become a seasoned gamer, you can earn more and increase your income.
Earn Per Activity | Payment Method | Min To Cash Out |
Next Steps | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Up to $5 | Cash & Gift Cards | $30 | CLAIM BONUS | Read Full Review |
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the ultimate go-to platform for side hustlers looking to make easy money. The app has lots of small tasks to choose from, such as taking surveys, shopping, watching videos, and of course, playing games.
You can choose from a variety of games and earn according to the time you spend playing.
Besides that, you can also participate in Swagbucks’ featured promotions as a beginner and start earning more gradually.
Earn Per Activity | Payment Method | Min To Cash Out |
Next Steps | |
---|---|---|---|---|
$0.4 - $2 | PayPal or Gift Cards | $3 | CLAIM BONUS | Read Full Review |
If Swagbucks is the type of app you like, there are plenty of similar apps that you can also try.
6. Start Tutoring
As a college student, you’re bound to have a favorite subject you’re particularly good at. Believe it or not, there are many other students out there who’re struggling in the same subject.
That’s why tutoring others is a great idea for those who’re wondering how to make money as a college student. You can help your peers or younger students ace the subject you’re good at and charge a nominal fee for yourself.
To start, try sending out flyers for advertisement across your campus. Also, inquire if there’s an official tutoring position available in your college.
Besides that, you can sign-up for online tutoring sites like Chegg to find remote students and earn more than $50 per week.
Similarly, you can use your holidays productively by creating a comprehensive course about your subject or skills. After that, you can earn a passive income by uploading your course on sites like Udemy and Coursera.
Final Words
That concludes our list of options for those wondering how to make money as a college student. While it is quite challenging to make time to take up a side hustle between studies, assignments, and peer pressure, the options we’ve listed are highly accessible and easy.
If you’re seriously looking at how to earn money as a college student, you should start by conducting thorough research.
List down the things you’re good at, and look for ways to earn through your skill or turn it into a product. This way, you’ll quickly make enough money to manage your expenses and get through your college life smoothly.