How Students Can Earn Money Online

Education is costly, it’s becoming costlier with every passing day! While the curriculum is getting tougher. The courses are more demanding than ever, with larger workloads and higher grade boundaries, and greater competition from within the country and abroad. At the same time, the cost of studying increased tremendously over the last 10 years. In 2005 average student loan debt per student was $10,000, now in 2015, the figure is a whopping $25,000. While, over the same 10 years, the minimum wage has remained the same, almost.

So, students, these days need to find work to support their cost of education. The place we live in has about 8 universities nearby. Most of the area’s restaurants are staffed with local students, waiting for jobs. I wonder if and how much time they get for their studies. I think if students can work at online jobs, they may get more time for studies, compared to the physical jobs I see them doing.

Making extra cash in your spare time should not only mean cleaning dishes or brewing coffee for customers. In this article, I’ll tell you some awesome online opportunities to earn money, by spending relatively lesser time working.

In 2014, the world saw a total e-commerce volume of $200B. A small pie of the money flow can go to your bank account if you spend 2-3 hours a day in front of your computer. Sometimes doing everything that you anyway do, like sending emails, browsing sites, etc. Sometimes by finishing some online assignments. Read on!

How Students Can Earn Money Online in Spare Time

Let’s first talk about how Students Can Earn Money Online, what are the tools needed?

You need physical and electronic contact information, the tools to do your job, and a means to receive the payment. To be specific, you need the following:-

1. A physical address
2. An email address
3. PayPal ID, to send/receive payment
4. A bank account
5. A Computer
6. Some office software (MSOffice or Openoffice or Google Docs)

Also, you’ll need to furnish your W2 information so be sure that you’re eligible to work in the country.

Now, let’s check out these sources where you can apply your skills to start making steady money on the side.

Join Freelancer Sites To Start Selling Your Existing Skills

People claim this is the easiest way to earn money on the side. But I don’t think this is true in the USA. When writers from countries like India, the Philippines, and Bangladesh are trying to grab the same project, you lose out on the pricing war. A 1,000-word article can be written by someone in the Philippines for just $5, while you, being in the US, can’t spend an entire hour earning just $5.

The purchasing power of $5 is too low in the USA compared to the Philippines. So, what do you do? You should concentrate instead on taking up specific projects that give you more bucks for your time.

Projects like essay writing, writing term papers, and thesis papers, require extraordinary skills and pay higher money and people generally tend to assign a US person for the job, instead of a person in India or the Philippines.

The worldwide web is vaster than the Atlantic Ocean for a person who has the willingness and ability to work online. Hundreds of opportunities are there to earn money such as Content Writing, Software Development, Accounting solutions, etc.

With content-related activities, there are more chances of earning money as the opportunities are more than others.

With content-related activities, there are more chances of earning money as the opportunities are more than others.

Earning Potential – Up to $500 per month, once you become an established writer. The first order is difficult to come, due to the sheer competition. Depends on the amount of workload you can take in.

Sell your Gigs on Fiverr

Do you know this site’s first logo was created by a University of Texas (UT Austin) Student, Larry? I got it done on Fiverr by him. Larry was a top seller at that time for his skills in graphics.

On Fiverr.com you can order a gift for $5, extra money if you want to customize the order and like to add on to the original offer. The seller gets 90% of the money. People can sell any of their skills that can be sent over to the buyer electronically. Be it a voiceover on a video, or sending a love song for your lover.

If you’re good at anything, explore Fiverr and see if the skill is in demand if it is, start selling and who knows, you might make it an instant hit.

Earning Potential – Depends on the hours. $5 – $50 per hour, once you’re an established seller. Wait period 1 week to 1 year. Depends on how interestingly you can present your gig and the amount of work you can do.

Earn Money While You Surf

Some sites will let you earn money while using their site/app/browser extension. I have been writing about these options, ever since I earned my money through Inbox Dollars and SwagBucks. These two sites pay for activities like surfing the net, playing online games, and using their browser extension to search the net.

Bonus, when you join these two sites, you’ll earn a $5 bonus each. That means, on day one, $10 is yours. I used to earn $15 – $20 daily with a couple of hours of sitting on the internet before I started with the blog.

Earning Potential – Up to $100 a month from each site. You can start earning immediately, there’s no waiting period. Depends on the amount of time you can spend

Start a Blog

Like physical real estate, online real estate also appreciates over time. The sooner you own a property, the better. Prices are still low. All you need to do is a web address and at least one content to place. A blog, for example, can be started in 20 minutes costing only $20. Once started, it all depends on your writing skills. The subject doesn’t matter.

On the world wide web, a site that talks about LGBT attracts millions of users every month, and a site that talks about making money attracts only a couple hundred. So, whatever it is you are good at, you need to be a good writer, to attract readers. With readers come to the money.

Bloggers, including me, earn money by placing ads on their sites, by putting advertorial posts, and by promoting products that they use they earn an affiliate commission. Bloggers create their products, like eBooks, tutorials, etc. Which are sold for a price?

Your first money can only be earned after a few months.  I started by earning $60 in my 6th month. The good news, once you have started earning, it’ll never increase, if you continue to produce new content.

Earning Potential – Up to $1,000 per month within the first 12 months. The waiting period is 6 – 9 months. Depends on your writing skills.

Take Online Surveys

Another way to earn money in your free time is to take part in paid surveys. When you are bored or exhausted, you can come online and answers survey questions. More surveys you can handle, the more money you’ll make.

Top Sites to try your luck.

• Opinion Outpost
• Survey Spot
• Survey World
• Survey Junky

Earning Potential – Up to $50 a month, you can start earning immediately, with no waiting period. Depends on the amount of time you can spend

Online Tutoring

Sure you can start tutoring your professors’ children, many students do that. But slowly, online tutoring is gaining ground.

Especially homeschooled students now tend to register for more such classes. If you are a university goer, you can teach most subjects to a middle or even high schooler.

All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and free tools like Skype, webcam, etc

Once you register to sites, such as – Tutor.com, Aim 4 A, or Tutorvista, you need to pass tests to prove your skill level. You should have a minimal level of education, though.

You can even post on local Craigslist, with your offer of online tutoring. Or can respond to someone who needs a tutor.

Earning Potential – Easily $15 – $40 per hour. You start with lower fees initially, while going forward you can only stick with higher pay offers. You start earning immediately.