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You鈥檝e probably heard those heartfelt stories about ambitious college students running businesses from their dorm rooms to make extra cash. Tutoring people over the Internet and selling used textbooks on eBay are nothing compared to the crazy things that some are willing to do. Things like what, you ask?

We definitely aren鈥檛 endorsing these 鈥渦nique鈥� ideas, but read on if you鈥檙e ready to raise your eyebrows 鈥�

1. Become a human lab rat.

Many people decide to donate their organs and give their bodies to science after their demise, but some college students who are very much alive and kicking are getting in on the action, too鈥攆or extra money. How? Big pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers offer paid compensation in exchange for participation in clinical drug trials and medical research. It鈥檚 often fairly easy to find facilities that are in need of people to test experimental medications before they can be approved by the FDA and prescribed to the general population in college towns with large state universities.

Why? To research potential side effects and other complications, so yes, there鈥檚 a chance something bad could happen to you as a result. Participants generally undergo physical and mental exams to see if they are qualified candidates, and spend extended periods of time at the facility for blood work and testing while they are participating in the trial or study (up to several weeks) but the payments can be quite generous.

2. Find a sugar daddy / sugar momma.

Sugar daddies, or wealthy older men who are willing to support attractive women financially in exchange for 鈥渃ompanionship,鈥� have been out there all along, but matchmaking services and online dating websites created especially for this reason have made the process of actually pairing up with one much easier.

Critics complain that these arrangements are too close to prostitution for comfort, but some college co-eds have no qualms about dating a silver fox in exchange for luxurious designer gifts (that can later be sold for cash) as well as vacations, spending money, and even college tuition. And as you might have already figured out, sugar mommas are simply the female equivalent鈥� wealthy older women, sometimes referred to as cougars, who 鈥渉elp鈥� good-looking younger men financially in return for other favors.

3. Visit the fertility clinic.

Getting pregnant in college is not a goal for most female students, but many are helping other people achieve that goal at fertility clinics. Healthy, educated young women who donate eggs to infertile couples can be paid several thousand dollars, which is quite a hefty sum for most broke college students. It鈥檚 not a one-day event, because thorough physical exams, psychological testing, genetic counseling, hormone injections and other things are all part of the process. Not all interested applicants make the cut, though. People are turned down if the clinic discovers that the candidate has a health condition or if a particular disease runs in their family. And as with all medical procedures, there鈥檚 a risk of complications occurring鈥攏ow, or in the future when the time to start your own family arrives.

There鈥檚 big money in fertility for young men, too. Sperm banks pay for donations from educated, good-looking males. There鈥檚 just as much testing, medical history interrogation, and required qualifying conditions in being a sperm donor as there are in donating your eggs, so being interested in this money making opportunity doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean you鈥檒l be eligible to do it.

4. Cash for gold!

Class ring? High school is over. Earrings or bracelets from an ex-boyfriend? Too many bad memories associated with them to bother wearing them. Ugly necklaces from your mom? She probably won鈥檛 even remember giving them to you. Graduation presents that you never wear? Why keep them, then?

It鈥檚 possible to free your cluttered jewelry box from broken necklaces and mismatched earrings once and for all and make some money in the process. Multiple cash for gold stores can be found in nearly every city, or you can even sell your unwanted gold jewelry in online (if you鈥檙e willing to mail in and aren鈥檛 afraid of getting ripped off.)

Use Your Common Sense!

It鈥檚 true that selling your unwanted jewelry isn鈥檛 too extreme, but we certainly aren鈥檛 advising anyone to actually act on the other crazy ways to help pay for college. Even so, many students have no problem taking advantage of the opportunities. Perhaps they鈥檙e just a more lucrative alternative to flipping burgers or taking out massive student loans in the minds of some broke college students.

Posted on 17 Oct

Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the 911吃瓜网 of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.