You’re in high school gearing up for college, and the cost of tuition is still rising. Though this may feel like a doomsday scenario, there are plenty of ways you can tackle the cost of college without breaking the bank.

Here are the basics of the FAFSA process, as well as a few essential pieces of information to make sure you get the most out of it.

The biggest FAFSA mistake you can make? Not filling it out at all. Here’s why:

FAFSA. How are five little letters so intimidating? Well, fear not. We’re here to walk you through it.