Simply College™

When Charlene Haykel saw the complex process and paperwork surrounding college financial aid, she decided to try to simplify it. In 2005, she hired an educator to thoroughly research the area and wrote and designed a workbook for parents called Financial Aid Simplified. In plain English, the book lays out all the tasks required to file for financial aid and to secure the maximum amount for which a family qualifies. The book was combined with workshops and a telephone helpline for parents into a program called Simply College™. In 2010, the workbook was expanded to include all college planning tasks (College Access: A Family Guide to College Planning and Funding). A best-practices manual for college admissions counselors (Maximum Access, A Guide to College Admissions Counseling) was also produced. Both books are now part of the College Access Initiative offered to school districts throughout the country, through a Haykel Group spin-off, Simply Student Aid, LLC.