19 Ways to Help Pay for That Zoom University

College student in a red mood sweatshirt on couch with Mac laptop
Disclosure: We’re letting you know that this post contains sponsored links which The Smart Wallet receives compensation for, which may impact their order of appearance. This site doesn’t include all available offers.

As colleges revert to full-remote or “distance learning” as for their reopening plans it’s hard to justify pre-pandemic tuition price. Students and families argue that remote learning should be cheaper but colleges are charging the same, if not more.

Sure, some colleges offer a hybrid model of both in-person and remote, but from having to pick education over safety or even paying for higher education over Zoom, it’s rough for all students. Schools placed restrictions on limiting time off-campus but what if you need to work to pay for tuition?

One thing is for sure, making extra money however you can, even when you’re stuck at home or in your dorm, is important.

All you need is reliable internet and a smartphone or laptop. We go over our favorite ways for students to help make money for tuition,  wherever you are.

1. Get Paid Up to $225/Month While Watching Viral Videos and Taking Fun Surveys

Founded in 2000, Inbox Dollars has been paying customers for their opinions for over 24 years and counting! They are one of the most trusted survey sites with fun, multiple ways to earn extra cash that set them apart.

Fast and easy. Love that I can cash out to my PayPal and easily transfer money to my bank account.” – Tefanie P

Take surveys, watch videos, play games, and even read emails for extra cash. Who wouldn’t want to watch viral videos for money and get paid up to $225/month?

Inbox Dollars is a great platform to make a little side money. It’s free to sign up, so give it a try today!

2. Earn a $10 Amazon Gift Card by Trying New Games

When you’re ready to add even more games to your lineup, then download Cash Giraffe, an Android app that pays you to try out new games for, yes, you guessed it, cash. All are free to download!

Just earn coins from trying new games, and then you can redeem them for:

  • PayPal Cash
  • Amazon gift card
  • GameStop gift card
  • PlayStation Store gift card
  • Xbox Live gift card
  • And more good stuff

“Payouts are faster than most apps. PayPal rewards are small, but hey, it’s free money 💰 🤑“- Cassandra McGuire

A 3,599 coin welcome bonus is yours immediately too, when you sign in! Plus, get 200 coins for every friend you refer and 25% of their earnings.

3. Get Free Money Back on All Your Shopping Hauls

Check your pockets; check your purse. And keep receipts for your iPhone.

Just grab all your recent receipts from your coffee runs, grocery trips, restaurants, and gas station fill-ups, scan them into Fetch Rewards on iOS, and earn points for free money! Connect your email account, as well, to count DIGITAL receipts from Amazon, Instacart, and more.

Basically, snap a pic of your receipt from anywhere, and that’s it; you’ve got points for money. There’s no minimum spend, no need to select items manually, scan in any receipt from any store or gas station, and it’ll automatically reward you.

It’s free and easy to use and is a must-have iOS app for anyone who buys stuff!

4. Play New Games and Earn Branded Gift Cards

The more you play, the more rewards and gift cards you can get. That’s the gist of Mistplay, an app where you can try out new Android games to earn units/gems and make optional in-app purchases. Redeem units/gems for real gift cards, including Uber, VISA, Spotify, and more!

Play as many games as you want since you can earn more gift cards that way. Plus, there’s nobody to compete against! New members get a BONUS of 200 points just for signing up.

And yes, it’s legit and already has 10M+ downloads. Download the app for free and start racking up those gift cards!

Some of the sponsored links that appear on this page are from companies that offer investment advisory services. They compensate us; for details on our compensation arrangements, please click here.