This publication lists 265 federal funding programs available to rural areas. The programs were selected from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, 1997, which is available online from FAPRS (the Federal Assistance Programs Retrieval System). Entries are listed under the following federal departments or agencies: Department of Agriculture, Appalachian Regional Commission, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, National Credit Union Administration, National Endowment for the Arts and National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Department of Transportation, and Corporation for National and Community Service. Each entry contains the name of the sponsoring agency, program objectives, types of assistance available, uses and use restrictions, eligibility criteria, contact information, and examples of funded projects. Approximately 53 programs are directly concerned with education, training, or schools. Other subjects include child welfare, human and social services, rural and community development, health programs, housing, American Indian programs, migrant programs, law enforcement, small businesses, and water resources. A subject index is included. (SV)