Presented are data on student financial aid in Missouri collected as part of an annual state survey of higher education. In this first annual report the data are limited due to reporting limitations and inconsistencies, and the report is called preliminary. An introductory section discusses these limitations. In subsequent sections, supplemented with data tables, analyses are given in these areas: sources of student financial aid; composition of aid packages; the University of Missouri; state four-year institutions; state two-year institutions; independent institutions; and professional and technical institutions. Over $140 million in financial aid to students was reported in 1977-78. Among the conclusions drawn from this limited information were that: University of Missouri and independent sector students draw larger awards per capita than those in other institutions. Independent sector students received relatively more from the Missouri Student Grant Program and institutional sources, while public sector students received relatively higher proportions of aid from federal sources, including loan programs. Graduate student aid is included in all categories except the Missouri Student Grant Program. (MSE)