This manual provides guidance and documentation for users of the public release data for the student component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The general aim of NELS, a continuing long-term project, is to study the educational, vocational, and personal development of students at various grades and the factors that influence that development. The student component files contain data from the base year and the first follow-up. This manual is designed to familiarize the user with both waves of the NELS:88. The manual contains seven chapters. Chapter 1, "Introduction" provides information about the purposes of the study, the data collection instruments, the sample design, and data collection and data processing procedures is presented. The other chapters (2 through 7) are as follows: "Data Collection Instruments"; "Sample Design and Implementation"; "Data Collection"; "Data Control and Preparation"; "Data Processing"; and "Guide to Files and Codebook." This volume contains 15 figures and 27 tables in the text as well as appendices A through L which contain supplemental information on particular files and codebooks, along with numerous figures and data tables. The remaining appendices (appendices M through W) are printed in volume 2. (SLD)