The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation is once again awarding up to 15 new $20,000 college scholarships ($5,000 per year) to deserving 12^th grade students from eligible high schools in Collier County.

The application and eligibility list can be found online at www.SchulzeFamilyFoundation.org. The deadline for all submissions is April 1, 2026. 

Successful candidates will show they have distinguished themselves through school, community and/or church activities while showing strong academic achievement in high school and meet the following criteria:

• A 2026 graduate of an eligible Collier County high school
• Have a minimum of a 3.0 unweighted cumulative GPA (4.0 scale)
• Show unmet financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Not be receiving need-based federal grant assistance (Pell Grant)
• Enroll in a four-year accredited college or university as a full-time degree-seeking student

Established in 2014, the Schulze Family Foundation College Scholarship Program is designed to help students graduate from college with minimal student debt. To date, almost 150 local students have received one of these competitive awards. 

Six years of Schulze scholars have already graduated from college and are now gainfully employed or enrolled in a post-graduate program working to pursue their dreams of becoming engineers, doctors, teachers, nurses and so much more.

The Schulze family understands the value of a good college education and is committed to helping students from middle-income families who do not qualify for federal grant assistance but still need financial support to pay for college.

“We believe life in the U.S. has become harder for middle-income families,” said Mary Beth Geier, Florida Director of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. “This scholarship allows us to ease the burden for local families who are working to make college a reality for their son or daughter.”

If you have questions about the Schulze Family Foundation College Scholarship Program in Florida, please contact Ana DiMercurio at amdimercurio@schulzefamilyfoundation.org or 239.451.3033

About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, to give back to the communities where Dick and his family grew up – in Minnesota, where he built Best Buy to become the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer, and in Florida, where he now maintains a permanent residence. The Schulze Family Foundation creates grant partnerships with organizations that generate meaningful results in human and social services, education, and health and medicine. In all its activities, the Foundation embraces its founder’s vision to strengthen and support initiatives that lead to change within our communities. For more information, please visit our website.

The post $20,000 Scholarship Applications Now Open for Collier County Seniors appeared first on SWFL Family.

“That is a message that we try to convey,” said Kimberly Dickerson, Collier County Public School district’s school counseling coordinator. “Those national scholarships are flashy, and students know about them. But we have some great scholarships here.”

The Collier Community Foundation administers more than 300 scholarships. Lee County Schools lists almost 150 local awards on both the district website and the XELLO website.

CCF created the Scholarship Connector which lists all local, state, and national scholarships. They have been checked for legitimacy and have links to the applications. Students can take an information quiz that will spit out the scholarships that they are eligible for, so they don’t have to wade through hundreds of sites. A common link allows students to apply for multiple scholarships with just one application.

“The scholarships run the gamut of criteria,” said Laura Bidireanu, director of education scholarships for CCF. “Some are merit based, some are need based, some are based on interests or background.”

Bidireanu said it is important for seniors to check the deadlines. She also offers this advice for students: “Take your time, show who you are, what sets you apart from your peers, what you are passionate about, and what you want to pursue after high school.” She also noted that “letters of recommendation are more important than facts and figures like your GPA.”

CCF visits all the local high schools to advise students on applying, and encourages them to seek out as many scholarships as possible.

“Don’t take for granted the smaller local scholarships that are available. Every little bit counts,” Bidireanu stressed.

High school counselors are also a good source of information and guidance on scholarships, Dickerson said.

“Seniors have a lot to do, so it is important to be organized and to set aside time just to look for scholarships,” Dickerson advised. “Using the Scholarship Connector is a great tool. Look for those local scholarship dollars and spend some time applying. People will be surprised at how many organizations want to support them. Every little bit helps. They add up to something significant.”

The Class of 2025 in Collier County Public Schools earned $38.5 million in scholarships. Dickerson hopes the 3,500 members of the Class of 2026 this year will secure even more.

Lee County 2025 seniors secured more than $70 million in scholarships. This year there are 7,370 public school seniors in Lee County public schools.

Start early

Lee County uses a Florida service called Xello and then adds local scholarships into the program. Xello includes scholarships for students in grades 6-12 so not just seniors should be looking at it, advises Meredith Berry, coordinator for Lee County School counseling services. Xello also lets students filter the scholarships that they are eligible for, and it has some that offer one application for multiple opportunities.

Lee County high schools not only have guidance counselors, they also have a college and career specialist at every location. These specialists go into the classrooms and have individual and group meetings with students, but Berry admits that more needs to be done.

“We do have scholarships locally that students don’t apply for, whether it is that they don’t know about it or the time frame for when it is due,” Berry explained.

She wants students to learn about scholarships when they are still in middle school.
“My goal is to see that students leave middle school and have a scholarship awarded to them, so they already have that scholarship readiness,” she said.

Local nonprofits are helping students start the scholarship process early. Champions for Learning encourages students beginning in eighth grade to apply for scholarship money. Those that secure a spot in Take Stock in Children in eighth grade can secure a two-year pre-paid scholarship if they complete the program and graduate. But the application closes in October, so they need to apply soon.

“It is an opportunity for every student in Collier to apply,” said Kristin Carolan, senior director of student programs at Champions for Learning. “No essay is required. It is first-come, first-served. If you are eligible, you get it.”

Free money

Those that offer scholarships hope more students will take advantage of this free money for their education. Sharon Newman, who does publicity for Voices of Naples, says her organization gives out two or three music scholarships each year to students who plan to major in vocal (or related) studies in college.

“The number of applications has varied from one to six, averaging three,” Newman stated. “Recipients may request additional funding after their freshman year in college.”

Sarah Savary, chair of the Longshore Lakes scholarship committee, also hopes to see more students apply this year.

“One of the things that I find is not too many people apply, and I keep telling the counselors to promote it,” Savary said. “There are so many scholarships on the website. What is nice about our scholarship is it goes directly to the student once we have confirmation that they are going to a school. It does make a difference. People should be more aware.”

Karin O’Leary, president of the Bonita Shores Club, said there were seniors in the community last year, so it was surprising that no one applied.

“It requires effort, and there are service hours they have to do,” O’Leary said. “I think they don’t know about it. With Bright Futures, they don’t think they need anything else, but they can use it for books or whatever. There are some kids who are motivated, but there are other kids who are not. There are tons of scholarships out there, but the kids need to apply for them. It is free money.”

Top 5 Tips for Scholarship Applications

1. Start Early
   Don’t wait until senior year—many scholarships are open to middle schoolers.
2. Be Organized
   Set aside time each week just to research and apply. Keep a deadline calendar.
3. Show Who You Are
   Essays should highlight your passions, goals, and what makes you unique—you are more than just a GPA and test scores.
4. Secure Strong Recommendations
   Letters from teachers, mentors, or community leaders often carry more weight than numbers.
5. Apply for Local Scholarships
   Don’t overlook smaller, community-based awards. They add up and are often less competitive than national scholarships.

The post Local Scholarships Often Go Unclaimed in Collier and Lee Counties appeared first on SWFL Family.

Domestic violence affects people of all backgrounds, ages, and economic levels. It includes not just physical violence but also emotional, psychological, financial, and sexual abuse. One in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. But there is hope—and help is available.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For non-emergencies, these national and local resources offer confidential support, safety planning, and practical assistance.

Immediate Help: Crisis Hotlines

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
  • 800-799-7233 (SAFE)
  • Available 24/7 with trained advocates providing crisis intervention, safety planning, information, and referrals.
• Florida Domestic Violence Hotline
  • 800-500-1119
  • Confidential support available around the clock.
• RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline
  • 800-656-4673 (HOPE)
  • National sexual assault hotline with trained staff.

Local Resources in Southwest Florida

Collier County

• Naples Shelter for Abused Women & Children
  • 24/7 Crisis Line: 239-775-1101 | Admin: 239-775-3862 | TTY: 239-775-4265
  • naplesshelter.org
  • Services include emergency shelter at two locations (Naples and Immokalee with 60 beds each), individual and group counseling, injunction assistance, court advocacy, hospital accompaniment, and a kennel for pets. All services are confidential and free.
• Project Help
  • Helpline: 239-262-7227 or 800-329-7227
  • projecthelpnaples.org
  • Provides specialized support for sexual assault survivors. Available 24/7.
• Collier County Sheriff’s Office – Domestic Violence Section
  • Office: 239-252-0090 (8 a.m.-5 p.m., M–F) | After Hours: 239-252-9300 | Emergency: 9-1-1
  • Email: blake.rising@colliersheriff.org
  • Provides law enforcement assistance and victim services.
• Collier County Clerk – Domestic Violence Division
  • 3315 Tamiami Trail E., #102, Naples | 239-252-2646
  • collierclerk.com
  • Assistance with injunctions for protection and legal paperwork.

Lee County

• Abuse Counseling & Treatment (ACT)
  • 24-Hour Hotline: 239-939-3112
  • actabuse.com
  • ACT operates emergency shelters in Fort Myers (73 beds), Cape Coral (23 beds), and Hendry County (19 beds) providing safe havens for domestic violence victims and their children.
• Lee County Sheriff’s Office – Victim Advocates
  • 239-477-1000 | Para español: 239-477-1678
  • sheriffleefl.org
  • Provides a wide range of services to victims of domestic violence and violent crimes.
• Lee County Clerk of Court – Injunction Services
  • 239-533-5000
  • leeclerk.org
  • Free assistance in filing injunctions for protection.

Additional Support Services

Basic Needs Assistance

• Salvation Army
  • 239-775-9447
  • naples.salvationarmyflorida.org
  • Offers food, clothing, and emergency assistance.
• Eva’s Closet
  • 239-339-3216
  • evas-foundation.org
  • Provides clothing and household items to those in need.
• Helps Outreach
  • 239-593-3226
  • helpsoutreach.org
  • Offers various community assistance programs.
• Beverly’s Angels
  • 239-404-2082
  • beverlysangels.org
  • Emergency assistance and support services.

Legal and Advocacy Support

• Victim Services Information Referral Line
  • 800-226-6667 (English/Español)
  • TDD (TTY) Users – Florida Relay Service: 800-955-8771
• Legal Aid Service of Collier County
  • 239-775-4555
  • collierlegalaid.org
  • Free legal assistance for qualifying individuals.
• Lee County Legal Aid Society
  • 239-334-6118
  • leecountylegalaid.org
  • Legal support for domestic violence survivors.

Educational & Advocacy Organizations

• Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence
  • 800-500-1119 | TTY: 711
  • fpedv.org
  • Statewide advocacy and education organization.
• University of South Florida Harrell Center
  • 813-974-7832
  • health.usf.edu
  • Research and education on family violence prevention.
• WomensLaw.org
  • 800-799-7233
  • womenslaw.org
  • Legal information and resources for abuse survivors.
• National Electronic Network on Violence Against Women (VAWnet)
  • 717-461-3939
  • vawnet.org
  • Research and information clearinghouse.

Safety Planning Resources

Creating a personalized safety plan is crucial—whether you’re in an abusive relationship, planning to leave, or have already left. These plans help protect you and your children. For more information, contact:

• Naples Shelter for Abused Women & Children
• Florida Department of Children and Families
• National Domestic Violence Hotline

Financial Independence Resources

Understanding financial abuse and rebuilding economic stability are vital for leaving an abusive relationship. Resources include:

• Securing housing
• Protecting pets during relocation
• Accessing free or low-cost transportation

Specialized Resources

• National Child Abuse Hotline
  • 800-422-4453
  • childhelphotline.org
  • For situations involving child abuse and neglect.
• Tribal Law and Policy Institute
  • 323-650-5467
  • home.tlpi.org
  • Specialized resources for Native American communities.
• MyFlorida.com – Domestic Violence
  • myflfamilies.com
  • State-specific information, statistics, and resources.

Warning Signs Parents Should Know

Domestic violence often affects entire families. Children who witness abuse may display changes in behavior, academic performance, or emotional regulation. Warning signs in teens might include:

• Controlling relationships
• Unexplained injuries
• Sudden personality changes or social withdrawal

Parents should engage in age-appropriate conversations about healthy relationships, respect, and consent to help protect children from becoming victims or perpetrators.

How Our Community Can Help

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is also about building a community where survivors feel safe and supported. Here’s how families can make a difference:

• Educate yourself and others about signs of abuse and available resources
• Share resources with friends, family, and on social media
• Support organizations like ACT and The Naples Shelter for Abused Women & Children through donations or volunteering
• Create safe, non-judgmental spaces for others to seek help
• Advocate for survivor-friendly policies and accountability measures

Remember: You Are Not Alone

Abuse is never your fault, and you deserve to live free from fear. The organizations listed here are staffed with trained professionals who understand the complexities of domestic violence and can help you navigate your options safely.

Recovery and healing are possible. With the right support system and resources, survivors can rebuild their lives and create the safe, healthy futures they deserve.

For immediate danger, always call 911. For confidential support and safety planning, the 24-hour Naples Shelter crisis line at 239-775-1101 is always available.

If you or someone you know needs help, don’t wait. Reach out today. Every call matters, every person deserves safety, and every step toward getting help is an act of courage. 

The post Domestic Violence Resources in Southwest Florida appeared first on SWFL Family.

It costs between $14 and $20 per ticket to go to the movies in Naples. That’s $56-$80 for a family of four. Bowling at Headpinz in Naples is now $76 for four people for two hours, and mini golf at Golf Safari costs $63.96 for a family of four. This is all before factoring in a meal or snacks.

When today’s parents were kids in the 1990s, prices were much lower. In 1995, the average price of a movie ticket was $4.35, bowling $3 per person per game, and mini golf $5 per round.

Sure, costs go up for every generation. Great grandparents might remember the olden days when movies were a dime, but the jump in prices for this generation is hitting families hard.

“We have seen prices for those items escalate a bit more quickly than we have seen wages grow,” said Shelton Weeks, professor in the Department of Economics and Finance at Florida Gulf Coast University. “Depending on where you are, a lot of folks are noticing it is taking a bigger chunk of their budget to pay for those items.”

Parents all over Southwest Florida are feeling this pinch and are talking about how typical family fun is now out of their price range.

Alexis Cianciolo of Naples always looks for affordable things to do with her 3 and 10-month-old.
“Naples is way expensive,” she began. “Going to the movies is like $50. It is insane. Especially with the cost of housing and the cost to live down here and to add entertainment on top of it, everything is unaffordable. Things are geared more for out-of-state visitors than for the people who live here.”

Free family fun

So, Cianciolo looks for free family fun. They go to the parks and the beach.

“We take advantage of all the free things that Naples has to offer,” she said. “The benefit of Southwest Florida is there are so many free outdoor activities.”

That works when the weather cooperates. But what happens when the thunderstorms roll in or the summer heat is just too searing to spend much time outdoors?

Dana Landin of Northport says she has been looking for affordable family fun all her life.

“I grew up in poverty, so I know all the tricks. I know exactly what to do,” she said.

She scours the area for free and low-cost things to do with her 6-year-old daughter.

“I play reward games that give gift cards to Walmart or Chuck E. Cheese, and a $25 gift card goes a long way at Chuck E. Cheese. We also do Groupons a lot. We go to the public library. They do a lot of free activities. The first weekend of every month, Home Depot does a free craft.”

Her daughter loves to see animals, but she says zoos and aquariums are quite expensive, so instead, Landin finds farms that allow visits. She and her daughter also love going to the Northport Aquatic Center (about 90 minutes north of Naples), where they can watch movies while floating in the pool for only $3 per person.

Other options

There are ways to participate in traditional family activities for little or no cost. Children 15 and under can sign up for the Kids Bowl Free program every summer that offers two free games a day. For just $4.99, kids can roller skate for free at select times for the whole year as members of the Spitz Kids Skate Free program. Many local movie theaters offer summer movie afternoons for $1 or $2. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Naples has $7 movies on Tuesdays. All of Collier County’s museums and the River Park Aquatic Center in Naples are always free.

River Park includes a children’s splash play area, a 9.9-foot-high water slide and six lap lanes, and a bathhouse with restrooms and showers. Collier County Parks’ pools also are a great deal. For example, Golden Gate Aquatic Facility offers a heated pool, children’s activity pool, wading pool, slide, and diving boards for just $2 for adults, $1.50 for kids 3-17, and is free for those younger than 3.

Neapolitan Family’s online and print calendars are a fantastic resource for free and inexpensive family fun. Parents also can sign up for our free weekly enewsletter that alerts you to the best activities in SWFL, many of which are no- or low-cost.

Go to www.neafamily.com and click on the orange “Subscribe” button on the right side of your screen. Plus, subscribers are the first to hear about our giveaways and special events.

Pinching prices

SWFL parents discussed the issue of high-cost family fun in a Facebook group.

“There are no options,” Jacqueline Parisi stated. “My kids stay home and play outdoors and go to parks. When people can’t afford basics, you can’t afford entertainment.”

“People are just getting more picky on what activities they choose and are staying home more,” Christina Bordelon added. “We may buy a movie and watch at home through Prime Video instead of going to the movies. Maybe we pick one event to go to and save for, instead of multiple. We find fun games and crafts to do at home for free and make it fun so we don’t feel we need to pay to go somewhere. The real issue is almost everything, aside from being in the heat, costs too much to make it worthwhile.”

“Even going out for ice cream has gotten ridiculous, so I let the kids pick out ice cream at the grocery store instead,” added Jeannie Tojanci.

Jessica Lee illustrated how hard it is to have a simple movie outing. She took three kids to the movies recently.

“I paid $96 online, and then the kids got candy and popcorn halfway through the movies,” she described. “It’s hard, but we go whenever we have the extra funding available.”

Weeks said people being priced out of activities goes beyond movies, bowling, and mini golf.

“I am a big sports fan and when you look at the price of attending sporting events now, it falls in the category of being unaffordable,” Weeks explained.

Nicole Holst’s family experienced that recently.

“We were excited to see a rodeo going on last weekend,” Holst stated. “But when I looked at prices, it was $26 per kid and $39 per adult, and we are a family of four. We did not go.”

The FGCU professor said while prices are higher now, alternatives are better.

“There are more home options,” Weeks said. “The quality of experiences [such as watching a college football game or movie at home] is much greater today than it has ever been. Back in the 1990s, you had to go somewhere and rent a movie and come home and play it on your VCR, and the sound and picture quality was not as good as it is today.”

Weeks admits you can’t go bowling or play mini golf in your home, but he said there are other options for that too.

“There are a lot of things you can do around the house, throw the football around the yard, buy yourself a set of cornhole boards, and spend some good family time [together].”

More advice

Ketzia Orama said she uses the Tuesday T-Mobile deals for family fun. She recently got two free movie tickets.

Lauren Nicole buys gift cards and uses the bonus cards for her family.

Rebecca Short signs her kids up for free roller skating and for the free summer bowling program. She also heads to the free splash pads instead of the water parks.

“Go to the library and check out passes to the Children’s Museum of Naples for free,” Short suggested.

Julie Wallace scours the news for a variety of free activities for her family.

“I stay up to date on community events and try to attend those with the kids as a no-cost or low-cost outing,” Wallace explained. “Things like art walks, music walks, parades, touch-a-truck, reading festivals, radio station events, free concerts, etc. We utilize coupons as much as possible like for a free small ice cream, 7-Eleven Slurpee days, happy hour, and BOGO deals so the kids can get treats and it’s not hard on the wallet.”

Weeks also understands why this generation is seeing prices exceeding their income.

Businesses “have seen pressure in prices and it is driven by the cost structure,” he explained. “The cost of labor has changed. I suspect they have pressure on the supply cost as well. I am sure the decision to raise prices is not made lightly, but you have to make the decision to keep the doors open and the lights on.”

The post Tips for Affordable Family Fun and Entertainment in SWFL appeared first on SWFL Family.

Fennie was extremely frustrated struggling to keep up with the rising costs.

“I’m a social worker and a single mother of two. It’s to the point where I have to choose between paying my rent or buying food,” she stated. “Being in the middle class is super hard because I don’t qualify for any type of government assistance such as food stamps or Medicaid. It’s so discouraging because the whole purpose of me going to college was so I wouldn’t have to struggle, and I feel like I failed.”

Fennie, who is the mother of a 7 year old and 1 year old, recently had to leave town to make ends meet.

“I was living in Fort Myers and it was getting to the point where I was trying to do everything. I was doing Door Dash, Uber, babysitting on the side, and working as a case manager as my full time job,” she described. “It was not enough to keep my head above water, so I decided to relocate to Atlanta. It is still expensive, but not as expensive as Florida. I am doing good, but I miss Florida.”

She said it is so sad that a person with a college degree and a good job struggles to pay the bills.

“It is not cheap here either,” she said. “My grocery bill is still expensive. A good third of my check goes to my rent. It was worse in Southwest Florida; half my check went to rent and then daycare and I didn’t have any money for food. Hopefully things can change.”

Smith is a third generation Floridian, born and raised in Naples. She thought that her good job, with overtime working 60 hours a week, as a critical research coordinator would be enough, and it was until prices skyrocketed.

“The economy here is hard,” she said. “Our rent jumped, our auto insurance jumped another $300 a month, and we have to pay $260 a week in daycare. Groceries alone kill us. I’ve tried to find a second job myself and it’s hard because I live in Fort Myers and work in Naples, and during season it can take me almost two hours to get home. Most people that live in Fort Myers have to work in Naples. You can’t afford to live in Naples with the rent, but can’t afford to work in Fort Myers. My same position in Fort Myers, I would get $7 an hour less.”

To earn some extra cash Smith posts in moms’ Facebook groups to see if anyone needs help with groceries or handywork.

“I don’t get a lot of feedback because it is so saturated,” she explained. “A lot of people are already doing those things. I have helped somebody move, but that was it. Sometimes my boss will ask me if I want extra money to do odds and ends at the office after work.”

Smith, who has a 14-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, has done Uber Eats but stopped because many customers weren’t tipping her.

“I work in a profession where I shouldn’t be struggling,” she said. “We get paid very well here, but nobody can keep up with inflation.”

Shawgo works full time while raising her daughters ages, 14 and 9.

“I work at Five Guys every other week when my girls are at their dad’s house,” she said. “I go home after work, let the dog out, and go straight to the other job.”

The Lehigh Acres resident feels lucky to find an employer that lets her work every other week. “It is very hard for single parents who have a custody agreement to find a second job.” Shawgo said the situation is very frustrating. 

“It has almost become unaffordable to live here, not just for single parents, but for people with double incomes as well. At some point it will be unaffordable to live here.”

Stay and Work at Home

Stay-at-home moms are also being forced to find work to help pay the bills, and it is not easy juggling work and little ones.

Amanda Flaitz Von Ohlsen of Cape Coral has a 16-year-old son, a 6-year-old son with special needs, and a 4-year old daughter. She said it is impossible to get a job outside the home because her middle child needs to be driven to therapy five days a week and her youngest would need expensive daycare.

“It would cost more money to go back to work,” she said.

So Flaitz Von Ohlsen started her own digital marketing business that she runs from home. She teaches people how to enhance their social media pages, sell products, and create their own digital marketing business. She recently wrote an e-book about online moneymaking.

“I am starting to make some money,” she said “It took a while to learn the skills, partially since my children are distracting.”

This was not the first venture Flaitz Von Ohlsen tried. For a while she sold hair bows.

.“It was not worth making all these bows and just selling five or 10, so I started researching ways to make money from home. If I sold 10 hair bows, I had to make 10, but with digital marketing if I sell 10 e-books I only have to make it once, so it was working smarter instead of harder.”

It is not always easy. She tries to work while her boys are in school, but she still has to care for her daughter.

“I work on my phone – like all the time,” she described. “I fit it into the little pockets of time throughout my day. We will go to the park and she will play and I will work. We go to Chick-fil-A and while she plays I might get 45 minutes there.”

It’s not easy balancing working from home with children. Ashley Mandeville, Ph.D., an assistant professor of management at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, has some tips.

“This is a tough one,” she began. “The boundary theory is the idea that we construct boundaries around our work self and family self. Sometimes you can’t separate those two worlds and that can cause stress and frustration.”

She suggests creating a home office or designated work space. 

“It can be, ‘When I am at this dining table from 1-5, this is my work space’,” she explained. “The most helpful thing is to create those boundaries and understand that sometimes those boundaries are going to get crossed.”

Starting a Business

Ashley Deal of Cape Coral had worked as an eighth grade science teacher in Lee County, cleaned AirBnbs, and rented out her garage as storage space. She has even sold plasma to earn extra cash.

“I was the queen of side hustles for a while,” she said. “You go in with those degrees and you think you are going to make a lot of money, but the only way to survive is to do overtime or side jobs,”

Then she discovered another way to earn money and spend more time with her three children. Deal started her own business called Cape Credit Repair LLC.

“I do credit repair and business funding,” Deal explained. “I have helped over 200 moms in the area qualify for zero down houses and mortgages. It is a very lucrative job.”

Deal said this was not the way she thought her life would go. 

“I had my masters in psychology and I couldn’t afford to live here,” she said. “I was very good at credit repair and I tripled my salary from teaching. Everybody wants to be able to afford a house. Teaching was rewarding, but this is definitely rewarding too.”

Elise Friedson of Naples also found success by starting her own business. The stay-at-home mom knew she needed some work, but also had a young child to care for. She started renting baby equipment to visitors to SWFL. She uses BabyQuip as a platform to secure the insurance and marketing, which takes a portion of her profits, but Friedson says the business is hers so she can work as much or as little as she wants. She began by renting items her 3-year-old daughter had outgrown and then started buying additional items, and now rents everything from cribs and highchairs to beach wagons and beach chairs.

“Everything is very expensive,” she said. “We wanted to have that extra money on the side.” 

Friedson feels it is beneficial for her daughter to see her work, and her child can even help. “I wanted her to see that work ethic. She helps me at home with cleaning and carrying things. She is very excited to help.”

Be Selective

Gina A. Tran, associate professor of marketing at FGCU, stresses that parents need to be cautious and pick the right jobs.

“There are side hustle gigs that sound like a wonderful opportunity for families that need that additional income.” But she warns that some of them are too good to be true and can end up costing more money than earned.

“If this wonderful opportunity asks you to pay money in advance, be very careful,” she warned, and added that job seekers should be wary of unsolicited offers.

Ask questions about salary and upfront costs and requirements, she advised, and check out the company on the Better Business Bureau website.

“If it is too good to be true, it probably is,” she said.

“People think it is legitimate because it is through a [Facebook] group. They are in need of extra income and they are vulnerable … so they unfortunately fall for it,” Tran said.

“There are a lot of people that are struggling to make ends meet with the rising costs. It is hard. Some are doing these side hustles to save up and some are doing it more as a survival thing. We are hearing more and more of these kinds of stories.” 

The post Many SWFL Parents Now Need Second Jobs to Pay the Bills appeared first on SWFL Family.

Cost of Attendance vs. Net Price

There are two prices that families should understand before applying. Cost of attendance is often considered the “sticker price,” or what you see on the college’s website, which includes tuition, fees, room and board, and other indirect costs like books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and other miscellaneous expenses.  Net price is the cost that families should pay more attention to, as this is the COA minus any federal grants or institutional scholarships the student may qualify for. Surprisingly, only 14% of students pay full COA, meaning almost 9 out of 10 students pay a reduced rate! Finding out the COA and the net price is relatively simple: We suggest using the website College Navigator, run by the National Center for Education Statistics. Under the tab “Tuition, Fees, and Estimated Student Expenses,” you can find the COA, and under “Net Price,” you can see the average net price.

Know the Percentage of Students Who Receive Institutional Aid

The next essential thing is to find out how many students receive institutional aid from that college and the average net price by income.

By reviewing the college’s information under “Financial Aid” in the College Navigator, you can find how many students actually receive aid. 

Understand Your Net Price

The last step in the process will take a bit more work. Now that you know a college’s COA and average net price, you can determine your net price depending on your family’s income and the student’s academic factors (test scores, GPA, etc.). Each college provides its own Net Price Calculator to make this calculation. Each calculator will ask you a series of questions, such as:

• Does the student plan to apply for financial aid?
• How old is the student?
• Where does the student plan to live while attending this institution?
• Is the student eligible for in-state/out-of-state tuition?
• Is the student married?
• Is the student the primary source of financial support for any children?
• How many people are in the family’s household?
• Of the number in the family above, how many will be in college next year?
• What is the family’s annual household income after taxes?
• ACT/SAT scores
• GPA

With this information, a family can now ask better, more specific questions when they visit a college and speak with their financial aid department. There may be additional institutional scholarships the student can apply for and other external scholarships and programs that could reduce the net price even further. With this information, the family can better compare colleges when making a list.

The short time spent researching this information will help your family be more informed about the actual cost of college before applying. 

Amanda Sterk is the director of college and career advising at Method Learning and the author of “College Unmazed” www.collegeunmazed.com.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

Florida scholarships and grants that are automatically awarded to students who complete the Florida Financial Aid Application and meet eligibility:

Florida Ease Grant: The William L. Boyd IV Effective Access to Student Education Program provides tuition assistance to Florida undergraduate students attending an eligible private Florida college or university. The student must meet Florida resident eligibility status determined by the institution and be a first-time college student seeking a baccalaureate degree. The grant amount for 2023-24 was $3,500 per year.

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program establishes lottery-funded scholarships to reward Florida high school graduates who will attend college in Florida and have met the academic requirements and minimum number of work or volunteer hours. The scholarship amount is calculated on the average cost per credit hour for a full-time schedule at a public college or university; that value may also apply to a private college or university tuition. More information at floridabrightfutures.gov.

To see all Florida scholarship and grant programs, please go to www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/.

RELATED CONTENT

Dual Enrollment: Teens Talk About Getting a Head Start on College

A guide to the new digital SAT for SWFL students

Scholarship Alert: Applications Are Open for Suncoast Credit Union Scholars

The post A three-step guide to uncover what college REALLY costs appeared first on SWFL Family.

NAPLES, Florida– The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation is once again awarding up to 15 new $20,000 college scholarships ($5,000 per year) to deserving 12^th grade students from eligible high schools in Collier County.

The application and eligibility list can be found online at www.SchulzeFamilyFoundation.org. The deadline for all submissions is March 1, 2024. 

Successful candidates will show they have distinguished themselves through school, community and/or church activities while showing strong academic achievement in high school and meet the following criteria:

• A 2024 graduate of an eligible Collier County high school
• Have a minimum of a 3.0 unweighted cumulative GPA (4.0 scale)
• Show unmet financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Not be receiving need-based federal grant assistance (Pell Grant)
• Enroll in a four-year accredited college or university as a full-time degree-seeking student

Established in 2014, the Schulze Family Foundation College Scholarship Program is designed to help students graduate from college with minimal student debt. To date, almost 150 local students have received one of these competitive awards. 

Six years of Schulze scholars have already graduated from college and are now gainfully employed or enrolled in a post-graduate program working to pursue their dreams of becoming engineers, doctors, teachers, nurses and so much more.

The Schulze family understands the value of a good college education and is committed to helping students from middle-income families who do not qualify for federal grant assistance but still need financial support to pay for college.

“We believe life in the U.S. has become harder for middle-income families,” said Mary Beth Geier, Florida Director of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. “This scholarship allows us to ease the burden for local families who are working to make college a reality for their son or daughter.”

If you have questions about the Schulze Family Foundation College Scholarship Program in Florida, please contact Ana DiMercurio at amdimercurio@schulzefamilyfoundation.org or 239.451.3033

About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, to give back to the communities where Dick and his family grew up – in Minnesota, where he built Best Buy to become the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer, and in Florida, where he now maintains a permanent residence. The Schulze Family Foundation creates grant partnerships with organizations that generate meaningful results in human and social services, education, and health and medicine. In all its activities, the Foundation embraces its founder’s vision to strengthen and support initiatives that lead to change within our communities. For more information, please visit our website.

The post $20,000 Scholarship Applications Now Open for Collier County Seniors appeared first on SWFL Family.

Strengthen your credit score

Your credit score will play a huge part in the interest rate you will pay on your mortgage, so taking time to improve it is well worth it. Run your free annual credit report (https://annualcreditreport.com) and look for any negative marks. Work to fix these so your score improves. Small changes to your credit report could mean lots of savings in your future.

Lower your debt-to-income ratio by paying down your debts

Your debt-to-income ratio simply takes your debt and divides it by your income. What this means is that to improve the ratio, you can either make more money (very challenging) or pay down your debt. If you have the ability to pay down debt without sacrificing your down payment savings, it is worth it. This also will have an influence on your interest rate, so do not let this slide.

Save for your down payment and closing costs

One of the most common misconceptions I hear from people is that they cannot buy because they do not have 20% to put down on their home. This misconception has cost people so much time and rent money, and it simply isn’t true. It’s great if you can put down 20% on a home, which saves you a monthly private mortgage insurance fee, but most buyers cannot. The most common amounts are 5% down for a condo and 3.5% down for a single family home. There are various programs with different down payment requirements, so speak with your lender about the options available.

Hire a Realtor® to work for you

No surprise here – this is my favorite step! A Realtor® is a licensed real estate professional who belongs to the National Association of Realtors®. Hiring a Realtor® is a huge step for you to take because this person not only must be an expert in the area, but also will negotiate on your behalf to get you the home you need at a price you can afford. Interview a few agents to find out who you are most comfortable with. Ask about their most recent sales, local knowledge, and availability. Think about your needs: If you work normal business hours, you will need an agent who answers the phone and shows property after business hours and on weekends.

Pick your mortgage broker and get pre-approved

Finding a mortgage broker that you want to work with and is reliable enough to get you to the closing table can be a tough task. After you’ve hired a Realtor®, ask for a lender recommendation. Remember, an experienced agent has worked with many different lenders, so this recommendation is valuable.

Once you have applied for a mortgage and received approval, you will have a strong estimate of what interest rate you will pay and, more importantly, you will know how much home you can afford.

Narrow down your search by limiting geographic areas

One of the quickest ways we can refine your search results for your home is to know where you want to live geographically. Here in Naples, we commonly hear people say they want to be west of I-75, have land, or be close to a school. Perhaps you have a maximum time you want to commute to work, a church you want to live near, or restaurants and activities you like. Whatever your situation is, narrowing down the geographic area will help you focus in on the individual homes to pursue.

Purchasing a home can be an exciting but stressful time. With the right team, things will go smoothly for you and your family. Happy house hunting!

Laney and Chris Farrugia are both parents and Realtors® living in Naples, FL. www.ListingNaples.com

The post Ask the Expert: Where to Start When You Are Ready to Buy Your First Home appeared first on SWFL Family.

Begin with the Basics

A sound budget is a basic essential in mapping your financial journey. After all, if you don’t have a good feel for how much money you have coming in and how you typically spend it, you can’t make a plan for where it goes.

Millennial Money recommends starting with tallying your disposable income, and then listing all of your expenses, both fixed and variable. Deduct the expenses from your income to find out whether you’re making ends meet or if you need to make adjustments.

From there, think about your financial goals and what you will do to meet them. For instance, you should be saving for your retirement, and you might want to establish savings for your children’s education. Your goals should be represented in your budget so you can meet them in due course. Then follow the path you’ve set. To keep things convenient, you might want to add a budgeting app to your phone.

A Roof Overhead

Owning your first home is a big part of the American dream. It’s also a big financial step, and a daunting one at that. Start crunching some numbers to ensure you don’t get in over your head, keeping in mind that your total housing costs shouldn’t go beyond 30 percent of your income.

When the time comes, mortgage companies will examine things like your spending habits and credit score. That information will affect the amount of loan you qualify for and the interest rate that will apply.

The amount of your down payment will also influence your loan—the more cash you put down, the lower your monthly payment, so it’s in your best interests to be saving with that in mind. Plus, putting more cash down makes your offer that much more tempting to the seller.

Picking and Choosing Lenders

Next, you need to decide who you want to do business with. You should look to banks you already have a relationship with and make some comparisons, then cherry pick the best to apply for pre-approval. If you have trouble finding a good fit, Benzinga points out some lenders are particularly agreeable to working with first-time buyers. With pre-approval in-hand, you’ll be ready for some serious house hunting.

House hunting is a process in itself and can become overwhelming quickly. Do some online window shopping, develop a list of characteristics you’ll be looking for, and hire a qualified real estate agent to represent you in the hunt—this is their territory, so they will provide invaluable input into the market. With the right agent on your team, soon you’ll be settling your family into your dream home.

Set up a Safety Net

Nobody enjoys contemplating what life would be like without them, but when you have a family it’s critical to consider how they would manage if something happens to you. With that in mind, think through your life insurance coverage and whether or not you have enough.

Per CNN, average households should have coverage for 5 to 7 years of income; those with small children should aim to replace a full decade of their salary. Bear in mind that employer-based life insurance is rarely sufficient; make some calculations to ensure you’re on track.

Along those same lines, you should establish legal guidelines for raising your children in the event you aren’t there. A will, powers of attorney, advanced directives, and so forth will ensure that the vision you have for your family comes to fruition if the worst case scenario should occur.

Looking to the future brings on a range of emotions for moms and dads. Put your mind at ease by ensuring your family has a sound financial footing for the journey. Cover the basics, invest in your four walls, and prepare for the worst case scenario so your family’s future is secure.

Read more from Sara Bailey at thewidow.net.

The post Financial Planning 101 for Future-Focused Moms and Dads appeared first on SWFL Family.

Subscribe to store email lists. Decide on which stores you want to shop at least a couple of weeks in advance. Then visit each store’s website, and subscribe to its email list. Early sign-up will ensure you receive all promotional emails for the season’s big Black Friday and Cyber Monday events as well as ongoing savings right on through Christmas Eve.

Buy discounted gift cards. Visit Raise.com and order discounted gift cards for the stores from which you know you’ll purchase. You can use these cards to buy sale and special-buy items for added savings. Make sure the gift cards are for stores you’ll definitely shop at so you don’t blow your savings. Discounted gift cards also make great gifts.

Begin collecting Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that show up in your newspaper, mailbox, and email. Also, visit your favorite stores online a few days in advance to see what kind of deals they will offer. Print any coupons you find and store them together in a safe place.

Organize for the big day. Once you’ve collected all the deals, sort through and match them up to your holiday shopping list. Compare deals and determine when the sales or doorbusters begin, and if there will be limited quantities. If you can’t stand in line for hours for a limited quantity doorbuster, skip it and focus on other deals that are easier to fetch.

Prepare a ‘second best’ list. You can’t be everywhere at once, and you are sure to miss a deal or two. Prepare in advance for that possibility and know where to go and what to look for as an alternative.

Watch for early bird freebies. Many stores offer free gifts to the first 25 or 100 people in their store. It’s true – there are some pretty nice prizes to be had. But many will require you to arrive well before the crack of dawn and spend hours waiting in line. Before you succumb to these lures, consider whether it’s worth the risk of losing out on savings elsewhere.

Black Friday isn’t always the best day for hot bargains. Do your research. Stores tout their Black Friday deals to get consumers into a buying frenzy early in the season. Some even offer their super deals on Thanksgiving evening and start to reduce prices on Wednesday. Keep in mind, all those Black Friday deals also often can be found online on Cyber Monday. In fact, many hot deals – and some better deals – stretch well into December.

Shop late in the day. If you are like many, you wouldn’t even consider shopping on Black Friday simply because of the chaos. But on Black Friday the vast majority of shoppers start at the crack of dawn or earlier. By 5 p.m. early birds are beat, and malls and stores are dead quiet. So Black Friday evening is a great time to get in some peaceful, early shopping with plenty of great deals still going on.

Shop online. This is another option if you don’t want to participate in the madhouse. Many stores offer the same deals online as they do in their stores. In fact, many online stores don’t even have storefronts. Keep in mind supplies are often limited, even online. By the time you reach checkout, an item in your basket might be sold out. If you’re shopping for multiple items from a store, do multiple checkouts, so the items in your basket don’t disappear while you shop.

More holiday shopping tips

Arrange your finances in advance. If you intend to pay by credit card, plan well in advance, so the credit is available to you. Make your credit card payments at least two weeks in advance to allow time for processing. Use your credit cards that offer cash back or reward points to increase your savings. If paying with a debit card, check your balance before you head out to avoid an unwelcome surprise. Also, avoid carrying cash in chaotic crowds because of the increased risk of pickpockets and purse snatchers.

Leave the kids at home. The chaos of the holiday shopping season, especially Black Friday, poses risks to children. Although the chance is slim, there is a potential risk of trampling by crazed crowds on Black Friday. Your child also could get lost among the mob. Besides, shopping for long hours is stressful and exhausting for kids. Not to mention, it will increase your own stress level and deplete your energy.

Avoid carts. On Black Friday, carry shopping bags or totes instead unless you plan to buy heavy items. Carts will slow you down in crowds that are unwilling to budge for you.

Hold off on toy purchases. Black Friday doesn’t offer the best deals on toys. The first week of December usually provides more significant savings on these items.

Use social media for extra savings. Many retailers offer exclusive coupons and discounts to people who like them on Facebook or other social media. Check the social media accounts of the stores where you plan to shop.

Check return policies. Most, but not all, major retailers have liberal return policies. Do your homework before you make purchases. Also, ask for gift receipts to make exchanges and returns easy for your gift recipients.

Avoid impulse buying. Many shoppers’ savings go right down the drain because they grab unnecessary “great buys” in the spur of the moment. Prepare yourself mentally for the temptation before you head out.

Net extra savings with instant store credit. Most stores offer 10-25% savings by opening a store credit card at checkout. If you pay your charges off immediately and don’t use the card for unnecessary purchases, it is well worth the savings. Otherwise, the long-term cost of interest will exceed your savings.

Make sure a sale is really a sale. Some stores mark up merchandise before they reduce it to make it look like a great bargain. Furniture stores in particular are known for this tactic. But many other stores do it as well on select merchandise. Do your homework.

Don’t waste time trying to price match. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, stores typically don’t honor price matching. The rest of the year, it is worth your time to do so.

Be prepared to wait. Before you head out, add your email account, music, audiobooks, or video games to your phone, so you have entertainment for the long wait in line. Better yet, spend your time in line visiting online stores and watch for rotating deals. Also, download a Black Friday deals app such as Dealnews, Slickdeals, Shopkick, Flipp, or The Coupons App.

Organize yourself for rebates. Print rebate forms in advance so you don’t lose track of them. Also, request duplicate receipts for rebate purchases, and store them in a safe place in your wallet or purse. If you shop online, download the Ebates app for automatic rebates when you buy on participating websites.

Forego extended warranties. With a few exceptions, extended warranties are a waste of money. Most electronics already come with a limited manufacturer’s warranty. Defects usually show up within the scope of the manufacturer’s warranty. Accidental damage that might be covered under a store’s extended warranty tends to occur rarely. Cell phones or small personal electronics people carry with them that are likely to get dropped, lost, or run through the washing machine are the exception.

Cyber Safety Shopping Tips from the Center for Cyber Safety and Education:

Here are a few simple safe shopping tips we recommend at the Center for Cyber Safety and Education:

1. Be wary of clicking on an advertisement for a product that you received in an email or see on social media. If in doubt, simply go to your browser, type in the store’s address and search for the special there.
2. Make sure you’re on the site you want to be on. If you search for a store or product online, use extreme caution when you see the results. Either type in the address as suggested above or double-check once you click on the link that you really went to the site where you planned to shop. 
3. Make sure you see “https” (not just http) in the URL. The “S” means the organization is leveraging encryption for its online transactions. Organizations not supporting https are opening their customers to having their online transactions intercepted.
4. Create strong, unique passwords on every site using at least 8 characters. The more the better! Use two-factor authentication when offered and do not reuse passwords.

Want more safe shopping tips? Head over to our Parents Tips page on Safe Shopping. It’s also worth mentioning to slow down and think before you click. Take your time when shopping online and going through sales emails. Don’t risk compromising your identity or safety on accident when in a hurry.

The post Black Friday, Cyber Monday, & Beyond: How to Cash in on Super Holiday Savings appeared first on SWFL Family.