I'm trying to think of ways, other than getting a job (which I am working on so don't bad mouth that please), to raise money for college. I'm trying to cut down on loan amounts. I DO plan on working this summer to help offset loan amounts too but a part time/full time job only pays so much and I have other things to get other than tuition room and board.

One idea I found was holding a Movie Night. If I did that I could hold it at my local library and have a charge at $2-$5 dollars a person and serve popcorn and drinks.

Also I could do a bingo night, but I'm not sure how to go about getting prizes donated.

So does anyone have any ideas of what else I could do?

be careful of licensing issues with showing a movie--public performance is against copyright unless you have permission from the rights holder. your library would be able to better explain it to you.

good luck, though. don't mean to discourage you, just don't want to see you get in trouble.

Rose

I agree. Is very difficult to raise money for personal causes, unless they are health related.

I was almsot insulted by a woman because I was fundraising for my son and 3 other kids to go on a trip to Australia with People to People. A few months later the same lady was at the mall sellig girl scouts cookies. I approached her and asked her how this was different from my son going on a trip. She said the $ was for girl scouts programs. I reminded her that her daughter gets free nights at a summer camp depending on how many boxes she sells and that the field trips are free for the girls. I am on the board of directors, so I know who is played. She them apologized to me for her behavior.

Good luck. Unfortunately education is not affordable.

Wow, it's really enterprising of you to think of holding fundraisers for your college costs!

You could put up a website/blog telling about yourself, what you plan to study in college, etc. and asking for donations or sponsorships. You could sell something, like T shirts or quilted items to raise money.

You'd probably have an easier time of it if you started your own business than if you try fundraisers. The thing about most fundraisers is that they're usually for non-profit causes, and non-profit organizations can do things (like bingo nights) that laws don't allow you to do for profit. And while getting money for college is a very worthwhile cause, it's definitely profit for you.

You own business could be a part-time thing, where you sell online, at flea markets, through word of mouth, etc. You could make something or you could provide a service, like tutoring or babysitting (when you're not busy with your new niece).

I was reading up on the whole movie thing and it suggested doing home movies or indie films... I'm not sure if I'm doing that yet or not.

I received my financial aid package and they are paying for a great deal of my tuition... I'm trying to raise money for room and board and what is left of tuition.

I'm just looking for easy options. I could sell candy to my moms work... there's a fund raising company that does that and our school has used them before.

My sister suggested a bake sale. I was thinking I could do that at our "Taste of Elmwood Park" in July. I'd just have to talk to the village on how to do that.

I jsut read about a guy who did the whole donations thing and he recieved up to about 6000.

What could I sell on line though other than t shirts? What kind of quilted items actually sell?

have you applied for grants and scholorships? Also, don't discount having a part time job while attending school. I know I didn't when I first started but found I had TOO much free time on my hands. Are you living at school or at home? In the dorms or have an apartment?

Just remember that loans are an investment in your future. We take out loans for cars that last for a couple of years (or however long we have them) but a student loan (a completed degree) is an investment in the rest of your life!

My school is about 37,000 a year (tuition, room and board) I am receiving about 27,118.00 from the school and government... its that other 10,000 thats a bit hard to get. I need to come up with at least 2000 of that by august 15. then have to make payments each month till the end of the school year... I'm trying to get that lower! My mom is going to try for the Parent plus loan and if she doesn't get that I get 4000 in unsubsidized loans from the government. Then it's reduced 6000. I don't have a co signer for a student loan otherwise I'd be more apt to get one... and no one offers a student loan where you don't need a cosigner.

I also have to have a on campus job due to work study and I am looking for a job near the college or near where I am now so that I can transfer there after the summer.

And I am hoping to stay on campus.

Don't think I am being crass, but do you have long hair? I know a girl who shaved her almost hip length hair and auctioned it off to raise money for wildlife rehabilitation. She raised a couple thousand dollars...there are some nutty people out there that like hair apparently! (human hair wigs can be costly.)

What kind of school are you going to that costs $37k a year???

My oldest daughter is going to college next year, and the least expensive of the state schools cost $6k a year. Others, $10k...some private ones, $20k but even then there are "friends of XYZ school" that have graduated and funnel money back into that particular school. Worth looking into. Also scholarships based on SAT's and high school grades. If you're a minority, a woman, a person with a passion for different things....there's specific scholarships out there for you. Be smart...use the system to your advantage!

whatever you end up doing will be a job, unless you ask for money on the internet. you would have to run a lot of movie nights or sell a lot of somethings to come up with thousands of $$. it might actually be easier and less time-consuming to look for a job. a job would be steady income and you'd know what you could count on. you could offer companion services to shut-ins for example, especially for weekends when their families need to go away. that leaves you free to study at the same time and meals would be included.

i don't know where you can go to school for $6k. in new jersey, rutgers, a state university, costs just about $12k with fees but no campus living. you would have to add on commuter expenses or campus living expenses, which are also plenty high.

have you thought about going and getting you license for notary if you could be a notary on call you would have to go to the ones that need something notarized and you charge according to your efforts also you could house sit dog walk maybe do earns for the elderly or take them to the store or Dr. appt.. go to a senior home and post a flyer. also ask around if anyone would be interested
be independent and provide a service. clean homes
im just throwing out some of the things i did when i needed an income

I'm doing this in addition to a job... if i did just a job, I'd still not have enough...

I'm going to a private college and the amount I will owe will be for room, board and the rest of the tuition. I have subsidized loans already and I might be able to get 4000 towards school anyways. I'm working on an essay on a possible 10,000 scholarship that won't be awarded till september but thats providing I win the essay contest and I'm not even sure it's for that school year. I'm on a work study program and I have to live on campus. I'll be on a meal plan and thats the reason I'm looking for a job that I can transfer to the school location.

I'm working as hard as I can to find a job... I can't wait till I go to school.

You asked what kind of quilted items sell. I know we have people on this board who sell things they quilt. I guess smaller items would work better, because you could make them faster.

Check on etsy.com and eBay to see what's selling.

I'd guess potholders, table runners, baby quilts, purses, jackets. Maybe bookmarks and book jackets.

Ahaha! I was thinking about pot holders!!! lol I need to make some for home come to think about it!

Something a bit out of the ordinary is cute little quilted books for kids that help keep them quiet and occupied in places like doctor's offices, church, etc.
These are not the ones done from fabric panels...they are various items that could be manipulated attached with yarn or ribbon to a base page...I've seen ones at various times with tools, dinosaurs, cats, dogs, fairies, Noah's ark, you name it. If you can find a local shop that you can use their die cut machine these would be pretty quick and easy to make. And would not take that much more time to make than the potholders, but would sell for considerably more because of their uniqueness.

thats a good idea

I have seen those & they are so neat! I remember one page being a lg shoe with actual shoe laces that teach the child to tie shoes. I think the shoe was felt and the holes were just punched out for the laces. Another page had a few buttons with a flap with button holes teaching them to button. It was a Quiet Book. The cover was out of Denim and the pages were a good quality Muslin with the edges pinked. A lady was in the waiting room at the Drs. Offc back in the Fall with her little one & it kept him quiet & busy.

Sorry for the length of this, but how about looking at the college as your marketplace and find a service or product to sell on campus? You’ll have to think realistically about what space might be available to you in your dorm room and on campus and not plan projects that will require too much equipment. If you pick something that needs space, such as laying out fabric for cutting, etc., see if there is a student activity area where you can use a table (which might drum up more business for you when people come over to see what you are doing). Another caution would be not to over-commit yourself, especially during mid-terms and finals, so if you take special orders, be sure you can deliver.

1. If you don’t already know how, spend the next few months and the summer learning basic garment tailoring and repair. Learn how to do a great job hemming pants or skirts, sewing buttons, and a few other tricks. Put up flyers in dorms and become known as the girl who knows how to sew.

2. Investigate the many online sewing and crafting sites and narrow down one or two totebag or backpack patterns and practice to see which is fairly easy to sew (you won’t want to have to spend too much time on them). Pick something cute but that would also be useful for hauling around stuff on campus. Add lots of pockets for cell phones, ipod, etc. Learn to make well constructed seams that will hold up to heavy use and use sturdy, good quality fabric. Then make up a dozen in different trendy fabrics, denim, school colors, etc. Personalize each with funky buttons, ribbons, etc. You can look at thrift stores for things to use for accent pieces, or fabric you can recycle (I've seen some great bags using recycled jeans, including the pockets, belt tabs). Then when you hit campus, change out your bag each day and have people ask where you got it (or post a sign, saying “Ask me where I got this bag!”). Sell from your stash or, with caution for your schedule, take special orders. Check pricing at sale sites online so that you can make a reasonable profit.

3. My daughter is very crafty. She learned online how to use freezer paper to cut stencils with an exacto knife and stencil them onto t-shirts. She’s made some amazing custom t-shirts for her family and as gifts. College kids love t-shirts, you’d have a market with guys as well as girls. Again, you’d need to practice a lot this summer and use good quality shirts and the right paints. And launder your shirts a number of times to make sure they hold up well. Then go to campus equipped with 8 or 10 really outstanding examples of your work. On the back of one or two, stencil “Ask me where I got this shirt.” Put up flyers. Take orders!

Anyone else with ideas to make money on campus?

no your on a roll !!!!!


at some point she will need a stash of shirts different sizes if she stars this or likes the idea she will need practice shirts and then the good ones maybe we can all start sending her some shirts to practice on and old jeans for the purses or start thinking about helping with supplies

make quilted notebook covers or pencil bags using more modern patterns and colors. tote bags, laptop cases, you can get these patterns at the stores look through those huge pattern books for them, oh and cel phone cases

now you are giving me ideas! I also am in college, not private, but as a parent money is tight and I will eventually have to pay back all these loans :shock:

I was thinking about getting notebooks and pens and pencils over the summer that would be available for buying... Those are ways to make money on campus... I need ways to make money before I get to campus! lol but THOSE are GREAT ideas!

I'd say invest in a few very well-made notebooks (like with a spine, bound books) and do your thing with them, quilt them, whatever....PUT THEM ON ETSY because us sappy moms with kids going to college will buy all sorts of crazy things to tell them we love them on their way to college. True story.

have you applied for pell grants they pay for most of the cost for classes and books there is also usualy some left over that is for living expensies your school would help you applie for them

Yes I have! And I got that!

Each state has colleges..some are through the state and are cheaper for the residents of that state...NY has a large assortment of schools, it just means you have to stay closer to home . Did you check out the colleges in your state. My grandaughter is spending 5,000 for a SUNY school for a year....what is the name of this school you want to go to

do you live on a block with a bunch of little kids in the area?? sell candy over the summer, buy bigger pkgs from like sams or walmart, bulk size, and sell them like 50cents, etc. or popsicles.

Sorry, but I don't think switching to a less expensive school is the answer. No need to compromise your education, and education is more than just classes, it's campus life and values, too.

i agree with not switching school it could be a matter of a good job comming out of school have you done any quilt projects latley that you could sell start with craigs list and than ebay if nessacerry but be weary of money orders i have sold stuff on craigs list you don't have to pay to sell on that sight like you do on ebay

I applied to a state school, one of the ones that I SHOULD have been able to get into and they denied me. I applied to four different schools, Elmhurst College (hardest), Monmouth College (little less stringent than Elmhurst), Columbia University (easiest to get into private school wise), and Illinois State University (Easiest school to get into in the state)

I was accepted to Elmhurst College, which was my first pick. I was rejected by the last three. The other state schools in my state are very hard to get into, which is sad. I did want to go to a school in Hawaii, which yes I know to get there would cost an arm and a leg, but my dad said I had to stay in State. There were other schools I wanted to apply to that were public, but there were not in Illinois.

I have a chance to study at Oxford for a semester with this school. I can go to India if I want (and trust me I want to go to India, even if it is just for a month). When I do my student teaching, i can student teach in one of the best school districts in the upper half of Illinois and could possibly be hired to their schools which are amongst the highest paid teachers in the area.

They also have a great pre med, pre law, and pre pharm programs and an excellent nursing program, I'm thinking about the first three.

Plus I know the area quite well, I only live a matter of 15 minutes away, but if I don't live on campus, I get less in financial aid. And I want to live on campus due to my place being too crowded. My sister, her boyfriend, their baby, and my mom all live in this 2 bedroom apartment, my aunt, grandfather, and 2 cousins live downstairs and in the basement. There is no place to go that I can be alone... except the kitchen or bathroom. I need out!

I know that in the dorms I'll have a room mate, which I'm fine with, I just hope to meet this person prior to moving in together. And if her and I don't get along, we can switch roommates in mid September to someone we both would like.

It's also a bit late to switch colleges anyways.

Also, financial advisers say to go with a Private school since they are more likely to give you more grants... which is true... I was able to get four grants... one of which was directly from the school for $9000.

And this school year I plan on working as hard as possible to get on either the Deans or Presidents list. Then I can get 20,000 dollar scholarship or a 26,000 scholarship. And yes I will keep my grade point average up during my Sophomore year in college to keep those.

Go for it, Alu! Set your goals and don't give up. You sound very committed. Keep going!

Sorry, I know this is a quilting board so please nobody cream me, but...

Tis' the season....First Communion and Bridal veils? Tulle is cheap and you wouldn't believe what veils cost in a store! And nothing hard about gathering the end and sewing to a comb.

Then sell on Ebay or Craigslist.

Yeah_I_saw_those_at_Joann_fabrics_I-could_d0_that!_SORRY_OUR_KEYBOARD_IS_ON_THE_FRITZ

As a 28 year volunteer with our local hospital, I spoke to several doctors
I knew about sponsoring one of our local Candy Stripers for some school or
other, and he said that he, like lots of other doctors, donated to several
grants for medical students. Grants that were rarely even asked for, so they
could not be granted!

I suggest that you search out grants for whatever you are majoring in, to see
if you could find a nice dollar amount for that.

Don't forget to go for the well known Pell Grant...

Try to find out who in your community is expert in your chosen subject, and
maybe a polite letter asking for suggestions for grants may bring you some
surprising answers. DO NOT annoy these folks when they are working. That
polite, well written, should get at least an answer.

Find out if there are any organizations in your chosen field that give grants.
My late husband was a nurseryman, and that group did give several grants
every year, plus several of the graduates were given jobs in their fields.

Check out churches, local community groups, your school for scholarships. I am currently doing that because they are due on Tues. next week.

Also, if you are exceptional at something you do and can offer it to someone: tutoring in a specific subject, writing papers for someone, proofreading, house cleaning, dog sitting, etc.

I will be honest and don't think that you could possibly raise this sum of money with movie nights or selling candy or crafts. First you will have to have some money up front to buy the popcorn, sodas, candy or craft supplies, a risky option if you can't be sure of a return. Also most libraries and government run facilities do not allow sales in their buildings. You cannot raise money as a not for profit unless you file certain paperwork with the IRS, and I do not think that a broke college student counts as a not for profit.
I understand your predicament, I worked through nursing school because my parents didn't want to pay for it, they were the sort who felt that at 18 you were on your own and thought they were doing me a favor by letting me live at home rent free at that time. And I applaud your efforts.
My suggestion to make a lot of money pretty fast is house cleaning. I had a friend who did this for a living, most of the folks who use housekeepers don't tend to be slobs or else they wouldn't look for housekeepers. You can advertise in your local papers, my friend did it by word of mouth. Once someone discovers someone hard working and reliable they are happy to spread the word. Usually the housekeeper estimates how long it will take, say four hours and that is what they charge for, even if the job takes less time, as long as all the tasks listed are done. Cleaning offices and small businesses can also be lucrative. My boss pays some guy a couple hundred a month to empty the waste baskets and clean two toilets and run a sweeper, maybe 30 to 40 minutes at most twice a week. One of the girls I work with cleans a kids play gym once a month for about a hundred. And a neighbor cleans a local library after hours and a few small offices. She charges $50 minimum and it only takes her about an hour at each place. If I wasn't such a lazy person I would look into this myself.
Summer might also be a good time to offer window cleaning sevices.
Doggie clean up is also a good job, do a weekly clean up of folks yards for a set price. Only investment is a scooper and some good trash bags.
The rule when you want to make a job is find something no one wants to do and they will be happy to pay you for it.

i'm looking into summer camp councelor. yeah it will probably only gt me about 1600, but thats 1600 i dont have to worry about!

double post, oops.