10 Flexible Ways to Make Money in College

Your university is home to many empty wallets, but yours doesn’t have to be one of them!

This list will help you make some extra money for your travels, party, and more.

Written by Elise Lynch

Last Updated:

December 26, 2021

Get rewarded for things you buy

If you’re already going to make a purchase, why not get rewarded for it? CapitalOne Shopping can save you money by getting you the best coupons and reward credits when you shop online. If you’re purchasing your textbooks online, you could save up to 40%. Textbooks and other essential school items can rack up a hefty price tag.

When you enable the extension on your browser, CapitalOne Shopping will give you a notification about the rewards, offers, and deals you could use. Getting your discount is as easy as the click of a button.

Watch Videos, Take Surveys, and Get Cash Back

Swagbucks will pay you to watch videos that interest you. You can choose videos that interest you, or you can put it in “discover mode” and let Swagbucks curate content for you.

Swagbucks will open up a new window to view the videos in and you’ll have to allow popups. Once you finish a series of videos, you’ll earn Swagbucks which you can then redeem as gift cards or cash.

While it may not earn you a lot of cash, it could earn you a coffee here and there.

Deliver Groceries

The gig economy is thriving, and that’s a great way to make cash in your free time. If you’re not busy studying or attending classes, you could deliver groceries in the area for some extra cash.

Services like Instacart are great side hustles for busy people with busy schedules. The nice part about Instacart is you get to choose your orders, which are going to pay according to order size, delivery distance, and effort required to deliver. Then you also get to keep your tips.

Rent Out Your Car

If your ride is sitting on campus, it may be a way to earn some extra cash on the side. Apps like Turo allow you to rent out your car in a peer-to-peer lending service.

Turo lets you set your rental rates, your booking process, and your insurance all in one convenient app. When you’re ready to rent your car, sign up and receive your first payment in 72 hours after the rental.

Sell Used Books

If you’ve bought textbooks and you have no use for them after the class ends, you could be stuck trying to get rid of them.

Online you can find websites that will buy your used books. BookScouter can search for selling prices by providing the book’s ISBN number. You simply choose the best vendor, ship your book (for free!), and get paid via Paypal in as little as 3 days.

This could even be a way to make extra money if you were to buy other student’s books at a cheaper price than you could sell them for.

Walk Other People’s Dogs

Having a dog in college could be stressful, and having to pay for your furry friend could be less than a dream. However, you could make some extra cash by watching other people’s canine companions.

You could find dog-sitting jobs on sites like Facebook, or you could sign up on Rover. Rover is a safe and reputable platform to find dog-sitting gigs.

To get started, you’ll need to pay for and pass a background check. Then, once you’re approved you can set your own rates and start booking in your free time.

Run Facebook Ads for Other Businesses

If you’re a social media butterfly, you’re probably familiar with Facebook. You’re probably also familiar with the ads you see on Facebook. If you have the time to learn the ropes, you could run some ads for local businesses.

By tapping into your entrepreneurial side, going to some small businesses in the area, and talking to them about running some ads for them, you could help them get in front of a larger demographic.

Learning how to use Facebook ads effectively could be a lifelong skill and side hustle or it oculd be a legitimate business. Students who have completed the Facebook Side Hustle Course charge $1000-2000 per month per client on average.

Offer Your Services to Business Owners

Running a business can be demanding. That’s why business owners would love to have someone to do small tasks for them. Virtual assistants do anything and everything from answering emails and phone calls to entering data in spreadsheets.

If you’re studying business, marketing, or design, you could get some hands-on experience in your field while also helping out a probably overworked business owner. Talking to clients is the best way to find someone you can work with to make some extra cash.

Start a Blog and Monetize it

Blogging can be a lucrative side hustle if you’re ready and willing to be persistent and persevere through the slow beginning. A great way to monetize a blog is through affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is essentially finding a product you like, writing about it to persuade others to purchase it, and making money when they use your link or code.

Try Your Hand at Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is a great and obvious choice for those majoring in Journalism or English, but any field of study would benefit from having their writing published.

Niches like personal finance and wellness are in persistent need of freelance writers and evergreen content.