This report attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of total federal financial support for education from 1980, the year the U.S. Department of Education was created, until 1998. Programs residing in other federal agencies are included if they have significant educational components. Federal support for education, excluding estimated federal tax expenditures, was an estimated $107.2 billion in fiscal year (FY)1998, an increase of 71% since FY 1990. Between FY 1980 and FY 1998, after being adjusted for inflation, federal on-budget program funds for elementary and secondary education increased 15%. Postsecondary funds declined 28% in the same period, but other educational funds, such as those for libraries, museums, cultural activities, and miscellaneous research, increased 48%. In FY 1998, Department of Education outlays totaled $30.7 billion, reflecting an increase of 18% after being adjusted for inflation from FY 1980, and an increase of 6% between FY 1990 and FY 1998. Almost 58% of federal education support, excluding estimated federal tax expenditures, went to educational institutions in FY 1998. Schools and colleges derive 10% of their FY 1998 revenues from the federal government, with the remaining revenues coming from state and local governments. The estimated federal share of the revenues of educational institutions declined from 14% in FY 1980 to the 10% of FY 1998. For elementary and secondary institutions, the federal share declined from 12% in FY 1980 to 7% in FY 1990 and 8% in FY 1998. For institutions of higher education, the federal share declined from 18% in FY 1980 to 14% in FY 1990 and 15% in FY 1998. Seven appendixes contain detailed tables of financial information. (Contains nine tables and three figures.) (SLD)