LushDollar.com
Photo by Tom Rogerson on Unsplash

Sell Your Notes for Cash (Many Students Make $1.5K+)

Some of the links may be from a sponsor. Advertising Disclosure

Taking notes in school is never fun.  At least to me.

Well, if you were the good student you were supposed to be and took good, detailed notes, then I hope you didn’t throw them away just yet.

Why?

Because there are a TON of websites out there that will pay you for your notes as long as you meet their guidelines.

Generally, as long as your notes are detailed and legible, you have a great chance of making some great money.

How much, you’re wondering?

It could be anywhere from a few dollars to more than $100+, but how much you make really depends on who you use and what kind of notes you’re selling.

It is possible, I promise, and this is where this post comes into the picture.  Today, I’m going to talk about the many companies that want to buy your college notes.  All you need to do is upload your notes, get approved and then get paid once accepted.  It’s as easy as that.

Below, I will talk about the many websites out there as well as what’s expect of you if you want to make money selling your notes online.

Let’s begin!

How to Sell Your College Class Notes Online

Nexus Notes

Nexus Notes is said to be the #1 marketplace for student notes.  I’m not sure if that’s true, but hey, it’s an option to consider if you have any notes that you have produced throughout your college career.

To start selling, you will first want to create an account.  Like a lot of websites when signing up, it only takes a few minutes, if that.

Once you’re registered, you can then upload your notes, in which Nexus Notes will look over and approve before they go live on the marketplace.  You do not get approved right away.

If your notes do go live and somebody buys them, a student will pay $35 for the set, which Nexus Notes will keep 50% of that.  You can learn more about the commission structure as well as what’s expected from your notes via the link below.



Notesgen

Notesgen isn’t as large as the other platforms mentioned here, but it’s one to still consider.

The unique thing about this website is that you can sell more than just your college notes.  They also let you sell case studies, study guides, lab results and more.  It’s not just limited to notes, making for a great option to sell everything “note” related.

To start selling, it can be done in five simple steps, from uploading your notes to naming a price.  Anytime your notes sell, you’ll get 60% of the price.

OneClass

To get paid for your course notes with OneClass, it works a pinch differently than the rest I mentioned here as you almost need to apply for it as if it were a job.

According to the job description as an “Elite Note Taker,” you will be asked to be organized, able to upload notes weekly as well as be enrolled as a student, to name a few.

If you become a member and are lucky enough to be approved, you will be asked to give out as much information about your classes as possible.  Once deemed qualified, you will earn triple the rate of credits (75 instead of 25) per approved document.  Once you collect enough credits, you can then redeem for a gift card or cash of choice.

To learn more about the job and what it entails as well as what’s expect of you, the website has a very detailed FAQ, all of which I link to below.

Oxbridge Notes

Oxbridge Notes, said to be the notes from the top 1% of students, wants to help sell your college notes from you as long as you have good outlines, written at any accredited university.

Last year, the website saw more than 250,000 students visit their marketplace and continue to grow to this day, making for a lot of eyeballs on your notes.

If you do decide to sell, all you need to is fill out the form via the link below and then wait for an invite if they do decide to accept you.  If they like your application, then you can start uploading your notes, where they will put them up for sale, e-mailing you every time a student buys them.

Oxbridge Notes keeps 28% of the sale, about the industry average, and states the average student on the platform earns about $250 a year.

Follow the link below as the company has a very detailed FAQ, letting you know what’s expected of you if you were to use them to sell your notes.

StudySoup

To date, StudySoup has paid out more than $6,500,000 to its elite note-takers.  The website claims you can make up to $500 per course, even highlighting a video as to how you can do it, too.  Top performers can earn much more than this.

Out of all the options I list on this page, I would have to say this is one of the larger sites with more than 530,000 users and 1.2 million documents.  By far, this is one that could bring you the most cash.

To get started, all you need to do is apply and partake in a training session.  From there, you can then upload notes from a class that has at least 50 or more students in it.  While the notes can be handwritten, they do recommend you scan the material for a better chance at selling.

You can upload class notes every week for as many as 10 weeks.  For every document you upload, the amount you earn will depend on the subscription plan the customer was using.  This can range from $25 to $60+ for a study guide to as much as 50% of your note rate.

Stuvia

Stuvia offers the chance for you to sell our student notes online so that you can make the most out of your rigorous studying.

To start selling your notes, Stuvia works more like a marketplace, wherein you will list what you have and other students will buy from you.  You will always retain rights to your notes and can set any price you choose before your notes go live.

Once your listing goes live, Stuvia does all of the marketing for you, but be forewarned, like many of these sites, they will take a  30% commission price.  Keep this in mind.

The company states that some students make more than $2,500 in just one year, almost enough to pay for one semester!  Gain a reputation on the site and you could earn much more.

GradeBuddy

GradeBuddy states you can earn up to $500 per course in becoming a “marketing ambassador.”

The application page is vague, but in my research, it is said that you will need to apply for your school and then create lecture notes for every class you attend if accepted.  They will also ask that you make a study guide for every exam you take.

How much you make will depend on the classes you’re taking as well as what you’re able to produce.  Usually, if you’re taking a popular class and have great note-taking skills, you will have a great chance at getting accepted.

It appears you will need to talk with a representative before you’re accepted, all of which you can find out more information via the link below.  Fill out the form and someone should contact you.



CourseHero

You won’t make money on CourseHero uploading notes, but I wanted to include it here as you can earn “free unlocks.”  This could come in handy if you’re still in college and need access to other people’s work and don’t want to pay.

For every 10 documents submitted, CourseHero will give you five unlocks, which is worth a few bucks, seeing you only get 30 unlocks per month with a paid subscription.  It all adds up, however, as you add your notes.

I would only consider this route if you need the unlocks.  If you don’t, then you can skip out on this option as there are many more, as you can see from this list.

Effectively Taking Notes

If you’re interested in taking notes, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind to maximize your earnings, all of which I cover below.

Digital is Preferred

If at all possible, try to write your notes on your laptop while in class.  While the websites I mentioned above will take handwritten notes, you will have to go through the troubles of uploading them and then converting to a PDF.  Not only that, but it’s known that handwritten notes don’t sell as well as a digital copy.  Digital notes are easier to restructure if need be and can be much easier to upload them.

Get to the Point

These companies will not judge your notes on the length.  Rather, they will be looking for specific key concepts and keywords.

Remember those Cliff Notes books?

There’s a reason they are popular.  It’s because they get to the point!  When you take notes, get to that point and be as detailed in as little words as possible.  Add names, dates, theories, definitions and anything else you need to remember in order to pass a test.

Be Clear

In taking notes, try to create something that is as clear as possible.

What I mean from this is that the sheet should look appealing.  Try to bold your words, label where the information came from and anything else that can help the reader.  After all, you want to help them pass a course and test.

From what I researched, many of your better note takers will highlight important parts as well as use various colors to make skimming easier.

Don’t Forget the Textbook

Your professor can only add so much in a lecture, so don’t forget about your textbook after the class ends.

Make it a habit to combine both your professor notes as well as the textbook information to create the ultimate notes.

In using your textbook, I just recommend you skim the pages for bold words, bullet points and anything that really stands out.  Some textbooks even have a summary at the end of each chapter that you can copy as well.

Lastly, Be Unique

Never, ever think that it is okay to copy notes you find online and then put them up for sale.  Not only will this lead to a suspension on the website, you’re plagiarizing someone else’s work that they worked hard for.

All of these websites do use plagiarizing software, so if you found it online, it will catch it.  Don’t even try.

Final Thoughts

Since most of these platforms allow you to retain your rights, I would recommend selling your notes as many platforms as possible.

As long as your notes are of quality and are in a class that’s in demand, there’s no reason you can’t earn a few hundred dollars in the year.  If you’re going to take notes, why not at least benefit from them?

In the end, don’t expect to get rich, but let it be known that it is possible to earn cash from your notes, sometimes as much to maybe cover a semester.

If you have ever done this, let me know in the comments below.  You’re also more than welcome to chat about the companies mentioned or even recommend one I may have missed.

For now, dust off your notes, start applying to these websites, and hopefully, you can start earning cash as early as this week.  Best of luck!

Want $5 free?



Try out Swagbucks, the most popular reward program I make the most money with. Simply answer survey questions and get paid!

Join Now to Get $5!

Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

1 comment

  • Thanks for the list. I already sell my CA notes on many of these sites and work as a tutor too. This actually allow me to earn a handy monthly income. I’m not even a student anymore. Yet this is a great side income. If your notes are good and if you update them every year to reflect current study guide, you can earn more than $2K each month easily. You forgot StudyLast though. They allow you to set your own price which is pretty great and their affiliate program allows another sort of income.