Having Trouble Paying for Education? Try These Offbeat Ideas

An organization called Affordable College Online found that by the year 2020, it may cost an average student more than $20,000 to attend a four-year university. It’s also unsettling to realize that the price tag is on the rise, yet an article in the Fremont Tribune says that since 1990, the amount of college debt has ballooned by 511 percent. One of the aims of the Obama administration is to make college more affordable, but until it is, consider trying some of the odd but worthwhile ways of raising money below.
Sell Your Video Game Accounts

In the same way frustrated gamers often purchase “cheats” to help themselves progress past a challenging level, some might be willing to buy established video game accounts, especially if you are very skilled at a rampantly popular game and have accumulated a lot of weapons, points, spare lives or other indicators of success that would mean a lot to a gamer. As reported by Geek.com, one lucky individual was able to sell his Steam.com gaming account and the associated 139 games for $1,000 on eBay.
Be a Liquor Store Auditor

You’ve probably heard of opportunities to be a secret shopper, where you get paid in cash or gifts to do things like eat at restaurants or go to the cinema and then report back about certain elements of your experience. Similar kinds of jobs exist at liquor stores, too. You’ll usually have to get hired by a third-party company, and would later be assigned a task where you attempt to buy liquor at a retailer and see whether or not the cashier asks you for a form of identification. In most cases, there are age limits for this job, meaning you probably won’t be accepted if you already look obviously old enough to drink legally. However, if you’re lucky enough to still look youthful, you might be able to earn as much as thirty dollars for an assignment that could take less than an hour to complete.

Try Competitive Eating

If you’re a dedicated food lover, the curious world of competitive eating might be for you. The Associated Press recently reported about Eric Dahl, a University of Wisconsin computer engineering student who is taking part in eating competitions to finance his studies. Impressively, one instance of winning a challenge earned the student $250 for finishing nine pulled pork barbecue sandwiches in six minutes. If you’re ready to sign up for a competition in your area, bear in mind a fair amount of preparation is probably required. For example, Dahl has carefully altered his diet so he’s able to maintain a slim figure despite his excessive caloric consumption. However, he also stretches his stomach prior to a match by eating ten pounds of cabbage or broccoli along with large quantities of water. Surprisingly, although Dahl walks a few miles a day, lifts weights twice weekly and plays some intramural sports for exercise, he hasn’t had to become the kind of gym enthusiast you might expect to avoid massive weight gain.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can earn money to get or stay educated, and they don’t all involve donating plasma or doing something that might get you in trouble, such as selling essays or test cheat sheets. Consider these ideas now no matter which stage you’re at in your education.

Brett Harris is a full-time blogger. You can read his most recent article on the Top 10 colleges for a cheap online degree 2013 here.