The 1979-80 end-of-year report on the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) program is presented. The BEOG program is the largest of six federal student financial aid programs. During the 1979-80 academic year, 2,537,835 individuals, or approximately 29 percent of all undergraduates in the United States shared over $2.5 billion in grants from BEOGs. The primary feature that distinguished the BEOG program from other forms of financial assistance is its entitlement concept: all students meeting certain criteria are guaranteed aid, with the amount of aid determined by financial need and educational cost. The major portion of the report is statistical tables, accompanied by narrative, that describe in detail selected aspects of program activity. Contents include the following: general information such as the total number of applications processed, the number of grant recipients, the types and number of institutions participating in the BEOG program, and typical income-related characteristics of applicants and recipients. An in-depth analysis of selected demographic characteristics of applicants and recipients and the impact of these characteristics on grant levels is included. The interrelationship of factors such as recipient age, family income, dependency status, student eligibility index, and educational cost is examined. Summary information is provided on the numbers, type, control, and location of BEOG participating institutions. Selected aspects of the Multiple Data Entry Application Processing System are examined, and information about the eligibility status of applicants by income level is presented. A glossary is included. (SW)