You’ve got a particular set of skills you can put to use.

Higher education is really gosh darned expensive, more so for graduate school. Even if you get accepted to the university of your dreams, you may find yourself somewhat bereft of cash, whether due to housing and living costs, insurance payments, or that old dragon that is student loans. Grad students tend to have a lot on their plates, so there may not be enough time for a part-time job, to say nothing of a decently-paying part-time job. However, as a grad student, you are in a unique position that could give you access to several potential avenues of income you wouldn’t be able to utilize otherwise.

Your options will depend heavily on your major, but almost all majors have at least one option: teaching. Even if being a teacher of a particular subject isn’t your goal, as a grad student, you likely already have a wealth of knowledge on a subject. Whether it be for lower-level classes or summer schools, you can apply for positions as a teaching assistant to utilize your knowledge, and possibly get some credit in the process.

Speaking of credit, if you’re in a more science-oriented field, chances are good that not only are your professors pursuing their own research projects, but they could use help in doing so. Professors engaged in any kind of research are often in need of interns and research assistants, so if you happen to have a good rapport with one of your professors, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to ask if they could use a helping hand (for a nominal fee, of course). By that same token, if you’ve got an idea for a project to research yourself, you can apply for research grants from notable educational institutions. This way, not only do you get paid, but your credentials will become that much more impressive once you’ve graduated.

Grad school can be a bit of a frustrating balancing act, but you can make your way through without a massive hole in your wallet just by utilizing the skills and knowledge you’re already pursuing.