Thomas Franks blogging adventure started after he was rejected as a writer for another blog.
Since hed already written a post, then-19-year-old Frank decided tostart his own blogand go from there.
If youre a college student, youre probably wondering about his secret.
How did he pay off all his student debt before leaving campus?
A part-time job, an internship, a scholarship and a bit of freelancing helped Frank finished college debt-free.
But much of his income came from his website.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
How Did Frank Start Making Money Blogging?
Franks site,College Info Geek, focuses on getting the most out of college.
At first, it was mostly for fun, sharing his own experience.
After a couple of years, though, Frank started making money.
He took pictures of the entire process and share them on his blog.
Frank noticed a continued increase in his readership, and he began writing more frequently.
How Does He Promote His Website?
When Frank wanted to build his readership even further, he knew he had to branch out.
In 2013, hestarted a podcastto share his advice in a different format, and he releasesnew episodesevery Monday.
Today, he sees about 130 signups each day.
Frank also now speaks to groups and at conferences, some as a volunteer and a few paid gigs.
His next plan is to write a book and publish it traditionally.
In March 2013, two months before graduation, he made his final payment.
It felt absolutely amazing to have almost complete freedom upon graduation,Frank said.
With my debt gone, I knew that all I needed to cover were my living expenses.
Whats Next for Frank?
At first, Frank simply thought itd be fun to start a blog in college.
We asked him how he feels about debt, two-plus years after making that last payment andbecoming debt-free.
Now, though, my view is a bit more nuanced.
I realized thattaking on some debt enabled me to go to college.
If you want tostart and monetize a blog, check out our step-by-step guide.
Keen tomake money from a podcast?
Weve got a post about that, too.
And for ideas onpaying off your student loans quickly, check out these twoposts.
Tess Thomson is a freelance writer living just outside Washington, D.C.
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