Just how desperate are people getting about saving for college? Last month, an anonymous parent in the Boston area posted an ad on Craigslist offering to sell his body parts to pay for his kids’ 0,000 in student loans. “Use my body for anything legal, or medically experimental,” read the post, which has since been taken down. “Simply pay off all of my children’s loans and you can use me anyway you need.”

Few would ever go to such alarming lengths, of course, but many students – faced with the double whammy of soaring tuition costs and shrinking financial aid – are discovering some rather un-orthodox ways to pay for college. Forget toiling for minimum wage at the local burger joint or shelving books at the college library, these resourceful students are bringing in extra cash by starting their own businesses, soliciting donors online and even selling sperm or eggs.

It’s easy to see why college kids are getting so creative. The average cost for a private college rose 4.3% in 2010 to nearly ,000, including room and board, according to the College Board. Tuition at a state university now runs ,130 for out-of-state students (up 5.6% from last year) and ,140 for residents (up 6.1%). And scholarships and awards only go so far: Of the .5 billion available in private scholarships, only one in 10 students receive an award, with the average size being just ,815, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the FinAid Website and the author of “Secrets to Winning a Scholarship.” At the same time, many cash-strapped states are capping grants and raising eligibility standards for student aid – a trend expected to continue as they shift more of the costs of college to students and their families.

To make up the difference, students are doing more than ever to chip in on education costs, say experts. Nearly 72% of college-bound high school students think it’s their responsibility to help pay for college, according to a January survey by the College Savings Foundation. Almost 60% plan to cover more than a quarter of the costs, and 18% more than a half. Below are some non-traditional ways they’re helping foot the bill.

Do for Others

It’s true — helping your fellow man can also mean doing well for yourself. Consider AmeriCorps, a national network of more than 3,000 nonprofits and faith-based organizations, including Teach for America, the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. While regular wages are low – around ,000 for 1,700 hours of work (10 months) – students who serve a full stint also could earn a scholarship of ,500 (double that for 3,400 hours).

Additional scholarships are available to students who attend one of the 75 or so colleges and universities affiliated with AmeriCorps, including Duke University, Brandeis University and Syracuse University. One such beneficiary: Marc Schleif, 20, who decided to delay his junior year at Bentley University to work for City Year, an urban “community service” program. For his full-time work as a mentor to “at risk” students in a Los Angeles elementary school, Schleif makes about 0 a week. Once he completes his 10-month commitment, however, he’ll receive a ,000 scholarship from Bentley to go with his ,500 award from AmeriCorps. Before discovering the program, Schleif said he was planning to transfer to a state school or go deeper into debt. “If I didn’t get this I would have had to take out ,000 on top of the ,000 I already owe,” says Schleif. “It’s the best experience I’ve ever had, but someone shouldn’t do it just for the money. Your heart has to be in it.”