Ways to make money as a student

Halls Life

Posted 2 months ago

Tue 01 Sep, 2026 09:09 AM

Ways you can earn money - even as a busy student!

Studying in London comes with its challenges, from the high cost of living to juggling university work. But with a little planning, there are ways you can find part-time opportunities that work around your studies, and it can be a great way to build your skills, your confidence and your income.

Former Communications Lead at The Costume Store, Mili Beagley (they/she), has put together some easy ways to make money as a student to help you manage your studies and your wallet.

💰 Ways to make money as a student  💰

If you’re a UAL student and you’re not taking full advantage of Arts Temps, you’re missing out.

Arts Temps is UAL’s own job platform, and the roles on it range from year-long positions like being a Halls Committee member to campus tours and one-off tasks. The opportunities are often consistent but also flexible around your studies and personal life.

The jobs are paid, usually fun to do, and because you’re working for the university, there’s generally a lot of understanding when you need to prioritise your studies.

There are only so many roles and lots of students applying, so work isn’t guaranteed. It’s worth signing up early, keeping an eye out for new listings and applying whenever something suits you.

Check out the Arts Temps website for current job listings.

Whether it's working with the Halls Life team at events, or wider UAL opportunities like competitions and creative commissions, we'll keep this page updated with everything worth knowing about.

If you want a steady flow of cash, a part-time job on evenings or weekends is worth considering. Look for roles with flexible hours that can work around your timetable, so your studies always come first.

Check out Save the Students’ Part Time Job Finder, which pulls together listings from multiple job sites and agencies, so you can browse lots of opportunities in one place.

Working alongside your studies is a great way to build up some cash, but you could also use the summer before the next academic year to boost your savings. Whether it’s retail and hospitality, festivals and events, or temporary office work, there are plenty of options that will help you save quickly and look great on your CV.

There are multiple job boards to help with your search:

Indeed, Reed and Totaljobs, which have filters for temporary, seasonal and part-time work
StudentJob UK, which is aimed specifically at students and graduates
Find a job (gov.uk), the government’s free job search service

If you’re an art student, chances are you have a skill that someone out there needs, and Fiverr is a great way to get paid for it.

Whether it’s graphic design, web design, illustration or fine art, you can create ‘gigs’ with different pricing ‘packages’ for your services, and customers can pay you through the platform.

Fiverr takes a service fee from your earnings, and it can take a little while to build up your profile and your first reviews, so it’s worth being patient and checking the current terms before you start.

There are lots of ways you can make money through content creation.

The hard part is creating content and staying consistent, and it can be disheartening when you’re putting in lots of effort and not seeing much return. But if you find a niche, stay consistent, listen to what people want and reach out to others, you can start to build a platform.

Once you have a platform, there are lots of ways to earn from it, though results vary a lot and there are no guarantees. Some options:

Platform monetisation: Both TikTok and YouTube have programmes that let eligible creators earn from their content, including YouTube Shorts. Each has requirements, such as minimum follower or view counts, so check the current criteria.
Brand campaigns: Apps like Ramdam post campaigns where brands ask creators to make videos to promote them, and payment depends on the campaign.
Affiliate and shopping apps: Apps like LTK Creator, Metapic and Zezam let people shop your looks, and you can earn through clicks or commission on sales. Availability and terms vary, so check each one before signing up.
Collaborating with brands directly: You can email brands to ask about working together. It helps to have a ‘media kit’ showing your insights. Some collaborations pay per post or for modelling, and others are for free product only. If you’re gifted clothes you won’t wear, you can always resell them on Vinted or Depop.
Access and invites: Apps like Pingfluence don’t pay, but they can get you invites to launch events, parties, brunches and theatre shows, so you can enjoy cool experiences you wouldn’t otherwise pay for.

One fun way to make money as a student is being an Extra (or Supporting Artiste, as it’s sometimes called) in films, TV shows, ads and music videos.

While there are lots of agencies out there, the two that have landed me the most jobs are Entertainment Partners and Casting Collective.

Once you’re signed up, they’ll send you jobs they think fit you, and you can either accept or decline.
If you accept a job, you have to keep the date free no matter what while it goes through the next round of checks to see if you’re a good fit. Sometimes you’ll be ‘released’, which means you didn’t get the job and no longer have to keep the date free. If you’re ‘pencilled’, it means you’ve been provisionally booked.
You don’t need any acting experience or professional photos. I just took mine in my room against a white wall.
If you’re lucky, you can get upgraded on the day to a ‘walk-on’ role, where you can earn even more money.
One downside, depending on the agency, is the yearly admin fee. You’ll usually also pay commission on any other roles, so it’s best to check this before you get started. Pay can also be slow, sometimes taking up to 8 weeks.
There’s another platform called ‘Spotlight’ that charges a monthly or yearly subscription, but you can find your own jobs on there and avoid the commission.

The days can be long and tiring, and sometimes you’ll have to wake up at ungodly hours to travel to set, but overall you’ll have so much fun and meet so many really cool people.

If you’re 18 or over and look visibly under 25, a good way to earn money is something called ‘Serve Legal’.

You go into bars and shops, try to buy alcohol, and see whether you’re asked for ID.

Depending on the company, you may be paid a fee and reimbursed for your travel and what you bought, so it’s worth checking the terms before you sign up.

If you don’t look under 25, mystery shopping is a good alternative (you’ll usually need to be 18 or over).

As with Serve Legal, some jobs pay you and cover your travel, while others only cover the cost of a meal out or your shopping at the store you visited. You’ll also need to complete a report on the customer service you received.

Here are some popular mystery shopping apps and companies to look into:

iShop for Ipsos
Redgigwam
Tern
ISC CX

You can find more details, including the pros and cons of each here.

Pay and availability vary a lot, so always check the terms before you take a job.

One thing to be mindful of is that with both options, people can get into serious trouble or even lose their jobs if reviews are really harsh. As a former retail worker, I’d say please be honest, but also be kind where you can.