Selective Service and FA (Part 1)

Your Financial Aid may be complicated in relation to Selective Service. Males are required to register between the ages of 18-25. If you don't register before age 26, then you cannot register. The Selective Service registration is a very well-known procedure for men, and claiming "I didn't know" isn't a good reason anymore, especially in the information age we are currently in.

But you have to register with Selective Service to be eligible for Financial Aid. What if you didn't register? There are certain situations where a person is exempt from registration. These reasons are:

• males currently in the armed services and on active duty (this exception does not apply to members of the Reserve and National Guard who are not on active duty)
• males who are not yet 18 at the time that they complete their applications (an update is not required during the year, even if a student turns 18 after completing the application)
• males born before 1960
• citizens of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia (unless being a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Federated States of Micronesia and you live in the US for more than a year for any reason other than being a student or employee of your homeland government, then you do have to register)
• noncitizens who first entered the U.S. after they turned 26
• noncitizens who entered the U.S. as lawful nonimmigrants on a valid visa and remained in the U.S. on the terms of that visa until after they turned 26

There are a few odd scenarios that can occur where registration isn't required. The problem with the following is that you have to have had these scenarios occur the entire time between your age of 18-25:

unable to register due to being hospitalized, incarcerated, or institutionalized

enrolled in any officer procurement program at The Citadel, North Georgia College and State University, Norwich University, Virginia Military Institute, Texas A&M University, or Virginia Polytechnic and State University

commissioned Public Health Service officers on active duty or members of the Reserve of the Public Health Service on specified active duty

Confused yet? That's understandable. The government has tried to come up with every possible scenario that could occur. Some of these change a little from year to year. The information above is from the 2012-13 FSA Handbook.

Check back next week, as we dive a little more deeply into what happens if you don't register as well as some documentation.