I've Started Doing My Classmates' Assignments for Money. How Much Should I Charge?

 

If you’ve started doing your classmates’ assignments for cash, congratulations—you’ve tapped into one of the most in-demand freelance services on college campuses: academic assistance. Whether you’re writing essays, solving complex problems, or offering specialized support like accounting homework help, you’re providing a valuable service to students struggling with time, workload, or understanding.

But there’s one question every beginner academic freelancer eventually faces:
How much should I charge?

There’s no universal price tag for assignments—it depends on several key factors including subject, complexity, urgency, and your own level of experience. In this guide, we’ll explore how to price your services fairly and profitably while maintaining the trust of your clients (a.k.a. classmates).

Why Students Pay for Assignment Help

Before setting your rates, it’s important to understand why people are willing to pay you in the first place. Students seek help for many reasons:

• Overloaded schedules – Juggling multiple courses, part-time jobs, and personal obligations.

• Difficulty with certain subjects – Subjects like finance, statistics, and accounting homework help are common pain points.

• Pressure to maintain high grades – Scholarships, internships, and GPA goals add pressure.

• Language barriers – Many non-native speakers struggle with written assignments.

• Last-minute deadlines – Procrastination often leads students to ask for urgent help.

Understanding these pain points allows you to price based on the value of what you’re offering—not just the time it takes.

Factors That Should Influence Your Pricing

Let’s look at the key elements that should affect how much you charge for each assignment.

1. Subject Matter

Some subjects are just more work—and they’re worth more money. For example:

• General subjects (English, History): Easier to complete, priced lower

• Technical subjects (Math, Programming, Accounting): Require specific knowledge and accuracy, priced higher

If you're offering accounting homework help, you can charge more because clients are paying for your specialized expertise—not just your writing skills.

2. Assignment Type

Different assignments require different amounts of time and effort:

Assignment Type	Suggested Price Range
1–2 page essay	$20 – $40
1000-word research paper	$50 – $100
Problem sets (e.g., accounting, math)	$50 – $150
PowerPoint presentation	$30 – $75
Case study/report	$80 – $150+

More analytical or calculation-based assignments (like in accounting) justify higher rates due to their precision and complexity.

3. Deadline and Urgency

Rush jobs cost more. If someone gives you a paper that's due tonight, you should charge more than you would for a 5-day deadline.

• 5–7 days: Base rate

• 3–4 days: +20%

• 24–48 hours: +40%–60%

• Same-day: Double the base rate

Communicate your rush pricing clearly to avoid conflict later.

4. Academic Level

• High school: Basic assignments, lower prices

• Undergraduate: Mid-level complexity, moderate prices

• Graduate or MBA: High expectations, critical thinking, and depth = premium rates

If you're doing accounting homework help for upper-level finance or MBA courses, you should charge more than for freshman-level work.

Setting a Fair Rate: Where to Start

If you’re just starting out, you might be tempted to undercharge. But doing someone’s assignment isn’t just about writing—it’s about offering results, reducing their stress, and saving them hours of effort.

Here’s a baseline you can use:

• Per page: $15–$30 (standard academic formatting, ~300 words)

• Per hour (if you're tutoring or working with them live): $20–$40/hour

• Flat fee (for problem sets or accounting tasks): $50–$150 depending on size and complexity

🔑 Tip: If it’s an urgent, complicated accounting homework help request that requires Excel, financial statements, or journal entries, don’t hesitate to charge more.

Sample Pricing for Accounting Assignments

To help you structure your pricing, here are sample breakdowns for different accounting homework tasks:

🧾 Task: Balance Sheet and Income Statement

• Difficulty: Moderate

• Deadline: 3 days

• Deliverables: Excel file + explanation

• Suggested Price: $70 – $100

📊 Task: Financial Ratio Analysis (5 Ratios)

• Difficulty: High (MBA level)

• Deadline: 24 hours

• Deliverables: Calculations + 2-page written report

• Suggested Price: $120 – $150

📚 Task: Chapter 3 Problem Set (10 Questions)

• Difficulty: Medium

• Deadline: 5 days

• Deliverables: Detailed solutions + explanation notes

• Suggested Price: $60 – $90

You can adjust these based on whether it’s a returning client, how much effort it takes, and whether it requires textbook references or software like QuickBooks or Excel.

Other Things to Consider When Charging

📝 1. Revisions

Clarify your revision policy. Are you willing to tweak or rework an assignment after delivering it? Offer one free revision, but charge for major rewrites or new instructions.

🔒 2. Confidentiality

Ensure your clients that everything stays private. That reassurance adds value, which justifies your pricing.

✅ 3. Proofreading and Formatting

Make sure your final product is polished. If you’re formatting in APA/MLA, running a spell check, or even including plagiarism reports, this adds to the service value.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Underpricing yourself: Just because you're a student doesn’t mean your time is worth less.

• Not asking for payment upfront or using clear agreements: Even classmates can ghost you. Use written agreements or get at least half up front.

• Accepting work outside your skill level: Don’t commit to high-level accounting homework help unless you're confident in the subject.

• Overpromising: Be realistic with your deadlines and capabilities to avoid damaging your reputation.

How to Build a Client Base and Grow

Once word spreads that you offer good quality work, more students will come your way. To scale your work:

• Offer discounts for referrals

• Build a portfolio (redacted samples or mock assignments)

• Use platforms like Reddit, Discord, or Telegram groups (privately and ethically)

• Expand into multiple subjects or partner with other student freelancers

Final Thoughts

If you’re asking, "I’ve started doing classmates' assignments—how much should I charge?", the answer lies in understanding the work’s value, not just the time spent.

Offering accounting homework help or general academic support is a legitimate side hustle—but it must be priced correctly. Use your subject knowledge, manage your time wisely, and price based on urgency, subject difficulty, and academic level.

A good rule of thumb: Start with $20–$30 per page or $50–$150 per assignment, and adjust based on experience, complexity, and urgency. As your confidence and reputation grow, so can your rates.