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Creating passive income streams has become a trend among students. It’s easier to generate passive income within their class schedules, as opposed to the required hours from active income.
We curated a list of passive income opportunities for students with a limited budget, minimal spare time, and a basic understanding of legal requirements.
Each idea requires less than $50 and under two hours of work weekly (or both) to get started.
Let’s start with three ideas that require little to no upfront costs. Check out which source of passive income works best for you.
You pay for a fast internet connection at home or in a dormitory. But you’re only using a fraction of its capacity.
There’s still unused internet bandwidth in your connection. And you can use this to earn money effortlessly.
Honeygain is a passive income app that lets you share unused internet bandwidth. It doesn’t interfere with your processes, since it uses unused bandwidth only.
You can set up Honeygain on multiple devices and just let the app run quietly in the background.
It’s one of the passive income apps that requires zero fees and no time maintenance. You also get a $2 bonus when you sign up. This is a great way to earn extra money while still focusing on your studies.
You spend hours in and outside of class taking notes, annotating references, and making visual diagrams. You unintentionally created this study guide that other students might find very useful.
You can sell digital products like study notes and templates to earn extra cash for your efforts. Here are the basic steps to get you started:
Selling notes is a fantastic way to generate passive income for college students.
You don’t need a particular skill to acquire passive income. Take, for example, cashback and reward apps like Rakuten and Ibotta.
For instance, Rakuten offers easy cash back for every purchase you make. They also have a Back to College Sales section for limited-time offers on student-related brands and products.
Along with Rakuten and Ibotta, you can also try other easy-to-use cashback apps like Fetch Rewards and Capital One Shopping.
You also don’t have to upload receipts manually to these apps. You can just link your loyalty cards or scan the receipts directly from the apps.
These cashback apps provide a way on how to earn passive income while doing your usual routines.
But if you’re very busy and you don’t have free time to shop or create study notes, try these passive income ideas instead.
According to the CollegeBoard, textbooks typically cost more than $1,200 for the first year. That’s a lot, considering that there are other expensive fees to take care of, including tuition fees and housing expenses.
That’s why there is a market for renting textbooks and other study essentials. If you have used textbooks lying around, you can take advantage of this opportunity.
Here are two of the best platforms for renting out textbooks:
For a quick overview of how to list your textbooks, take a look at these steps:
Renting out textbooks is one of the best passive income ideas for college students.
Do you have unused space (any space) in your home? You can earn money by renting out space in your driveway, garage, or storage spaces.
Here are platforms you can use for renting out parking or storage space:
But before you rent out property space, check your local zoning laws and lease agreement first. You must also consult the homeowners’ association (HOA) if they allow this venture.
If you want to invest resources or assets that you already have, these are the best platforms to use.
Even with limited funds in your bank account, you can now invest in stocks and shares. That’s great news for students.
We curated a list of investment apps that have low minimums and simple processes:
Of course, these investments always depend on market volatility. There’s always a risk involved, albeit much lower than other investment platforms.
You can also set up automatic recurring investments on these apps and choose the minimum or maximum amount you want to invest.
These auto-investment platforms present a way on how young adults can make passive income with their savings.
Your photos and even the sound of your voice can become passive income streams. People buy digital products like these for creative purposes, integrating them into videos, ads, and other content forms.
Follow these steps for uploading stock photos and audio on licensing platforms:
But if you have the skills and a few hours to spare each week, you could look into these side hustles.
Dive deep into the college experience and sell merchandise that aligns with current trends. These could be t-shirts that promote the school’s spirit, or stickers about current pop culture references.
These steps can help you get started:
You should promote your online store on social media platforms and common areas around the campus. Ask your friends to share your links on their social media accounts.
If you like being in front of the camera, you can have multiple income streams from starting a content channel.
You can share reels of your life as a college student on TikTok. If you’re promoting your tutoring services, you can do quick tutorials on your YouTube channel.
If you want to build an engaged audience for your online content, here’s how to do it:
There are also other content platforms like Patreon where you can offer membership tiers. Just remember to post consistently to pursue the benefits of these platforms.
Many students also look for information about nearby restaurants, study resources, and campus events. The school’s website might not be able to cover all these information.
This is when you can make more money from writing a blog or newsletter. You can monetize your newsletter by partnering with local sponsors.
For example, a newly-built coffee shop nearby campus might be interested to pay for a review in your newsletter. If you rake in a higher number of users, local companies might pay more for a partnership.
You can use content management sites like Substack or WordPress to set up your blog. These are free online sites that offer templates for affiliate blogs and newsletters.
Here’s a summary of how students can reap the benefits of passive income based on their specific goals.
| Goal this semester | Best first experiment |
| Need to buy my favorite video game releasing next month | Share unused internet bandwidth on HoneygainGet cashback rewards on Rakuten or Ibotta |
| Make money out of the resources I already have | Sell used textbooks on Chegg or BookSourcerRent out storage and parking spaces on Neighbor or Parklio |
| Utilize my creative skills and technical expertise | License stock photos on Wirestock or ShutterstockDevelop online courses or study guides on StuDocu as your part-time jobCreate engaging reels for TikTok |
| Invest my spare cash but have zero time commitments | Auto-invest on beginner-friendly investment platforms like Acorn and RobinhoodGet higher interest rates on high-yield savings accounts like Ally |
You want to earn money, but your school duties are weighing you down. Thankfully, there are passive income sources that might not pay as well as a full-time job, but can offer you extra cash.
The thing is, you need a low-maintenance income source to get started. You can earn passive income on bandwidth-sharing apps like Honeygain, or sell digital products on licensing platforms like Respeecher and Wirestock. If you have some money lying around, you can also place it on auto-investment platforms like Acorn.
Choose an income source that works for your schedule and reinvest your earnings. Gradual wealth building is the key to pursuing a steady passive income.
Renting out unused items like textbooks and selling study notes are among the easiest passive income ideas for students. Sharing unused internet bandwidth on apps like Honeygain is also an easy source of passive income because it does not require any upfront investment or continuous monitoring.
Yes, licensing your photos, renting out unused items and storage, and starting a free website are passive income sources that don’t require upfront monetary investment. You can also use apps like Honeygain to share unused internet bandwidth in exchange for earning more money as your side hustle.
Yes, money generated from investments, royalties, and rentals is generally taxable, even if they are earned as a side hustle. Check IRS guidelines or consult a tax professional to know how and if you need to report even small amounts of income on your tax return.
You can earn passive income within days if you use quick-start options like selling digital products or renting out assets. Using data-sharing apps like Honeygain can also help you earn right away. However, investing in stocks or making quality content streams might take months to generate significant returns.