100+ Ways to Pay for College Without Taking Out a Loan

When it comes to taking out a loan for college, you’ll want to think twice. The loan you take out now may take you years to pay off. Instead of paying thousands of dollars in interest for a degree, you can find other ways to pay for college. Here are 100 ways to pay for college without taking out a loan.

When you begin to think about college, it seems so normal for debt and a college degree to go hand in hand.

Personally, I think there is something wrong with that picture.

We go to college with the intention to better our education, knowledge and therefore, better our life. 

We can’t do that when we are in an insane amount of debt.

So, I decided it was time to lay it all out there and share ways to pay for college WITHOUT taking out a loan. 

100 Ways to Pay for College Without Taking Out a Loan

Take advantage of the $2,500 tax credit.

Start up your own lawn care business.

Work on campus in the dining commons.

Work as a housekeeper on campus.

Work as nanny or a babysitter on the weekends.

Wait tables on the evenings and weekends, when not in school.

Work as a bread merchandiser.

Sign up to work for Shipt.

Become a professional photographer.

Freelance as a writer.

Find freelance jobs on Upwork.com.

Find a job as a caregiver, these hours are often more flexible.

Start a business selling crafts.

Work part time as a waitress on the weekends or when you don’t have class.

Start applying for scholarships your senior year of highschool. Look for new scholarships throughout your college years.

Apply to work-study programs in college.

Don’t live on campus to save money on room and board, work a part time job to cover your expenses.

Go to a community college, instead of a private college.

Work for a company that will pay part of your tuition.

Go to school for a trade and then pay for tuition as you go.

Get a full ride sports scholarship.

Get a full ride academic scholarship.

Apply for grants that will pay for your tuition.

Find a job working from home to pay for your tuition (U-Haul, Apple, 1-800 Flowers)

Start an alterations business, if you’re good at that sort of thing.

Work during the summers to save up enough money to pay for that year’s tuition.

Start a marketing business, pitch to local companies to do their social media at a great price.

Become a dog walker.

Deliver pizzas.

Work for Jimmy Johns delivering sandwiches.

Drive for Uber or Lyft.

Work for Shipt as a grocery shopper.

Look for items to buy and then sell for a profit.

Open up an auction business, where you sell other people’s items for them on eBay, Facebook, but you get a small profit.

Flip furniture for a living to make extra cash.

Get a roommate or rent out your extra room on Airbnb.

Clean other Airbnb houses for extra cash.

Get a security job.

Working at a daycare.

Provide Nanny share for a few families. (They pay you, but the family shares a nanny, so it costs less for them).

Sign up for SitterCity.com

Post an ad for odd jobs on Craiglist.com

Look on Craiglist.com for “gigs.” One time gigs that can help you earn extra cash.

Work as a cook at a local restaurant.

Teach English as a Second Language to children at local schools.

Get a job with the Boys and Girls Club in your area.

Call up your local churches to see if they’re hiring a janitor with flexible hours.

Apply to work for VIPKid.

Apply to work for Chegg.

Pull weeds for cash.

Start up a clothing boutique.

Become a freelance proofreader.

Become an ebook ghostwriter.

Sign up to be a writer at Textbroker.com

Advertise yourself to scoop up dog poop.

Become a teacher’s assistant.

Sign up to be a Resident Assistant at your college of choice.

Rent out your car to people who need it.

Become a driver for GoPuff.

Get paid to be someone’s friend at RentaFriend.com

Sign up to sell your services on Fiverr.com.

Sign up to work for after school at a local school in your area.

Sign up to work for before school at a local school in your area.

Drive Amish people around if you live in an area this is possible.

Become a handyman and help people fix stuff around their home.

Work for UPS or FedEx in the early mornings, loading packages.

Become a secret shopper with BestMark.

Work overnight as a grocery store stocker.

Become a graphic designer and work as a freelancer on the side.

Find junk electronics and fix them up for a profit.

Load trash for people and haul it to the dump.

Sign up to take pictures with WeGoLook.

Become a virtual assistant for a local company or one across the USA.

Become a lifeguard at the local YMCA.

Market yourself as a “mom’s helper” for moms who have just given birth, but have other kids to care for.

Become a doula’s assistant.

Become a caregiver for a senior.

Become a painter for inside and outside jobs.

Wash windows for commercial and residential homes.

Clean grout for people.

Power wash homes in your area. This can be very lucrative in the summertime.

Run errands for people in your area. You’d be surprised how much people are willing to pay for this.

Pull weeds and plant gardens for people in the summer months.

Do other college student’s laundry.

Offer amazing car detailing at a great price.

Become a pest control specialist.

Learn how to take video and edit.

Work as a carnie and travel with the a company to local fairs. Help run rides and make good cash.

House sit for people while they’re on vacation.

Dog sit for people while they’re on vacation.

Work on a farm to earn extra cash and help take care of animals.

Teach music lessons to children or other adults who want to learn.

Become an exercise instructor.

Get paid to teach kids how to read.

If you know a second language, work as a translator or teach other people your second language.

Play your instrument at weddings or other venues.

Work as a telemarketer.

Make chairs, tables, shelves, and anything else wooden you can figure out.

Do hair and makeup for people attending proms or fancy dances.

Rent out your stuff to those who might want it, we’re talking kayaks, boats, snowmobiles, and so on.

Become a virtual assistant for an online business.

Create a GoFundMe account and ask for donations.

Find resellable items at thrift stores and sell them on eBay.

Collect and recycle cans/metal for cash.

The next time someone tells you that you cannot go to college without taking out a loan. Tell them they’re wrong, you can go to college without a loan, it just takes a little hard work and elbow grease.