SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 Amendment No. 1 to FORM S-6 For Registration Under the Securities Act of 1933 of Securities of Unit Investment Trusts Registered on Form N-8B-2 A. Exact Name of Trust: FT 296 B. Name of Depositor: NIKE SECURITIES L.P. C. Complete Address of Depositor's 1001 Warrenville Road Principal Executive Offices: Lisle, Illinois 60532 D. Name and Complete Address of Agents for Service: NIKE SECURITIES L.P. Attention: James A. Bowen Suite 300 1001 Warrenville Road Lisle, Illinois 60532 CHAPMAN & CUTLER Attention: Eric F. Fess 111 West Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60606 E. Title of Securities Being Registered: An indefinite number of Units pursuant to Rule 24f-2 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. F. Approximate Date of Proposed Sale to the Public: ____ Check if it is proposed that this filing will become effective on _____ at ____ p.m. pursuant to Rule 487. The registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine. Preliminary Prospectus Dated November 2, 1998 FT 296 10,000 Units (A Unit Investment Trust) The attached final Prospectus for a prior Series of the Fund is hereby used as a preliminary Prospectus for the above stated Series. The narrative information and structure of the attached final Prospectus will be substantially the same as that of the final Prospectus for this Series. Information with respect to pricing, the number of Units, dates and summary information regarding the characteristics of securities to be deposited in this Series is not now available and will be different since each Series has a unique Portfolio. Accordingly the information contained herein with regard to the previous Series should be considered as being included for informational purposes only. Ratings of the securities in this Series are expected to be comparable to those of the securities deposited in the previous Series. A registration statement relating to the units of this Series will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. Such Units may not be sold nor may offer to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the Units in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. (Incorporated herein by reference is the final prospectus for FT 223 (Registration No. 333-38331) as filed on December 1, 1997, which shall be used as preliminary prospectus for the current series of the Fund.) MEMORANDUM Re: FT 296 As indicated in our cover letter transmitting the Registration Statement on Form S-6 and other related material under the Securities Act of 1933 to the Commission, the only difference of consequence (except as described below) between FT 273, which is the current fund, and FT 296, the filing of which this memorandum accompanies, is the change in the series number. The list of securities comprising the Fund, the evaluation, record and distribution dates and other changes pertaining specifically to the new series, such as size and number of Units in the Fund and the statement of condition of the new Fund, will be filed by amendment. 1940 ACT FORMS N-8A AND N-8B-2 These forms were not filed, as the Form N-8A and Form N-8B-2 filed in respect of Templeton Growth and Treasury Trust, Series 1 and subsequent series (File No. 811-05903) related also to the subsequent series of the Fund. 1933 ACT PROSPECTUS The only significant changes in the Prospectus from the Series 273 Prospectus relate to the series number and size and the date and various items of information which will be derived from and apply specifically to the bonds deposited in the Fund. CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT ITEM A Bonding Arrangements of Depositor: Nike Securities L.P. is covered by a Broker's Fidelity Bond, in the total amount of $1,000,000, the insurer being National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh. ITEM B This Registration Statement on Form S-6 comprises the following papers and documents: The facing sheet The Prospectus The signatures Exhibits S-1 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant, FT 296 has duly caused this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Village of Lisle and State of Illinois on November 2, 1998. FT 296 (Registrant) By: NIKE SECURITIES L.P. (Depositor) By Robert M. Porcellino Senior Vice President Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacity and on the date indicated: NAME TITLE* DATE Robert D. Van Kampen Director of Nike Securities November 2, 1998 Corporation, the General Partner of Nike Securities L.P. Robert M. Porcellino Attorney-in-Fact** David J. Allen Director of Nike Securiites Corporation, the General Partner of Nike Securities L.P. ___________________________ * The title of the person named herein represents his capacity in and relationship to Nike Securities L.P., the Depositor. ** An executed copy of the related power of attorney was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with Amendment No. 1 to form S-6 of The First Trust Combined Series 258 (File No. 33-63483) and the same is hereby incorporated by this reference. S-2 CONSENTS OF COUNSEL The consents of counsel to the use of their names in the Prospectus included in this Registration Statement will be contained in their respective opinions to be filed as Exhibits 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 of the Registration Statement. CONSENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP The consent of Ernst & Young LLP to the use of its name and to the reference to such firm in the Prospectus included in this Registration Statement will be filed by amendment. CONSENT OF FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P. The consent of First Trust Advisors L.P. to the use of its name in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement. S-3 EXHIBIT INDEX 1.1 Form of Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust for The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 22 and certain subsequent Series, effective November 20, 1991 among Nike Securities L.P., as Depositor, United States Trust Company of New York as Trustee, Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., as Evaluator, and Nike Financial Advisory Services L.P. as Portfolio Supervisor (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-43693] filed on behalf of The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 22). 1.1.1* Form of Trust Agreement for Series 296 among Nike Securities L.P., as Depositor, The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee and First Trust Advisors L.P., as Evaluator and Portfolio Supervisor. 1.2 Copy of Certificate of Limited Partnership of Nike Securities L.P. (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18). 1.3 Copy of Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of Nike Securities L.P. (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18). 1.4 Copy of Articles of Incorporation of Nike Securities Corporation, the general partner of Nike Securities L.P., Depositor (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18). 1.5 Copy of By-Laws of Nike Securities Corporation, the general partner of Nike Securities L.P., Depositor (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18). 2.1 Copy of Certificate of Ownership (included in Exhibit 1.1 filed herewith on page 2 and incorporated herein by reference). 3.1* Opinion of counsel as to legality of Securities being registered. 3.2* Opinion of counsel as to Federal income tax status of Securities being registered. S-4 3.3* Opinion of counsel as to New York income tax status of Securities being registered. 3.4* Opinion of counsel as to advancement of funds by Trustee. 4.1* Consent of First Trust Advisors, L.P. 6.1 List of Directors and Officers of Depositor and other related information (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18). 7.1 Power of Attorney executed by the Director listed on page S-3 of this Registration Statement (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-63483] filed on behalf of The First Trust Combined Series 258). ___________________________________ * To be filed by amendment. S-5