The type, number, and scope of errors on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) program applications were estimated in a replication of a 1976-1977 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Comparison Study. Information reported on BEOG applicants and IRS income tax returns was compared for various categories of applicants. The study provides information on the impact of major quality control initiatives undertaken by BEOG during the 1978-1979 academic year, preaward validation (PAV), and the revisions to the application processing system edits. BEOG applicant files that were matched with IRS files consist of: 1979-1980 BEOG regular applicants with 1978 IRS file; 1979-1980 BEOG supplemental applicants with 1979 IRS file, and 1978-1979 BEOG quality control study group with 1977 IRS file. The PAV Study objectives center on assessing the relative efficacy of the validation process and the pre-established criteria for selecting applicants most likely to misreport information. Information is included on the logistics and sampling plans (e.g., selection of the preliminary sample, obtaining parents' social security number, finalizing the sample, IRS data extraction, and merging the IRS and BEOG data). Several procedural flowcharts are among the exhibits. (SW)