q CHOICES: SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM


Federal law requires all males between 18 and 26 years of age to register with the federal government’s Selective Service System. This system is responsible for providing men to the country’s armed forces in the event of a war or other national crisis. Registering with the system makes you eligible for the draft if it should be reinstated. But registering with Selective Service does not mean that you are joining the military.


Even if you claim to be a “conscientious objector” to serving in the military, you are required to register with Selective Service. If you do not register you can be prosecuted and fined up to $250,000 and/or be put in jail for up to five years. Registration is also a requirement to qualify for Federal student aid, job training benefits, and most Federal employment. Men, born after December 31, 1959, who aren’t registered with Selective Service, won’t qualify for Federal student loans or grant programs. This includes Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans.


Women are not required to register.


Registration is easy. You can register online at www.sss.gov. Or you can register in person at any United States Post Office. There is no fee for registration. You will need your Social Security number to complete the registration form. If you choose to register at the Post Office, remember to bring a driver’s license, passport, or other picture identification when you turn in the registration form; the postal clerk may ask for proof of your identity.


For more information, pick up the Selective Service System’s informational brochure, Selective Service and You, which is available without cost at all post offices or online at www.sss.gov.


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On Your Own, 2008 Edition


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