Many students are more than just scholars; they are also waiters, librarians, clerks, resident assistants, cooks, bus boys; anything that helps bring in a little money. And with the economy, finding a job can be difficult. Morgan Dierstein, a native of Paris, France, was painfully aware of this as he waited tables for minimum wage while attending California State University. He was suddenly struck by an idea.

“He realized there should be a better way in which students could make money using the skills they learn in school,” Annie Harrison, account manager at RentAStudent, said. “At the same time he realized that businesses could also benefit from outsourcing their projects at a lower cost.”

RentAStudent was born, a business with a mission to provide a platform for students and small businesses to connect. In this way, students can make money that could help pay off student debt while possibly gaining knowledge in their field of study.

“We want to provide them with a chance to gain experience within their field,” Harrison said, “which will ultimately benefit them when starting their careers, as it will provide them with relevant experiences to put on their résumé.”

RentAStudent has been featured in Forbes, VentureBeat and The Wall Street Journal as an up-and-coming platform. Any business can post tasks they would like to outsource to students. Students can make profiles about themselves, listing their skills, talents, education and hopes about future jobs. Businesses can then look for students that would fit the job description they’ve posted. Likewise, students can apply to any job project they find interesting. In this way, students’ résumés can grow and businesses can complete projects at low costs.

RentAStudent is very new to the USA but is already thriving. Check out rentastudent.com to create your own student profile or post business projects.