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Most males from ages 18 through 25 –including permanent residents and other eligible noncitizens- are required to register with the Selective Service System. Anyone required to register must have done so in order to receive financial aid. Persons exempted from this requirement include:
- Females
- Males currently in the armed services and on active duty (this exception does not apply to members of the Reserves and National Guard who are not on active duty)
- Males who are not yet 18 at the time they complete their FAFSA (an update is not required during the year, even if the student turns 18 after completing the application);
- Males born before 1960; and
- Citizens of Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.
There are certain less common situations in which the registration requirement is waived. Students who are not required to have already registered prior to meeting one of these criteria and who meet one of the criteria for the entire time they are 18 through 25 qualify for the waiver if they are
- Unable to register due to being hospitalized, incarcerated, or institutionalized;
- Enrolled in any officer procurement program at The Citadel, North Georgia College, Norwich University, or Virginia Military Institute;
- Commissioned Public Health Service officers on active duty or members of the Reserve of the Public Health Service; or
- Commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) must document the student’s status (i.e., whether registered, exempt or can be waived) . If the OFA cannot clearly verify selective service status, the student will be required to contact Selective Service to either confirm registration or obtain a "STATUS INFORMATION LETTER" and provide that documentation to the OFA. If the student’s registration is confirmed he will then be allowed to receive financial aid funds. Otherwise, the student remains ineligible until the situation is reconciled. When resolved, the student receives written confirmation from Selective Service documenting registration, exemption or waived status.
Students who were required to register but failed to do so, must submit a written explanation (with any supporting documentation) of the reason for not registering to the OFA. He must also include a "STATUS INFORMATION LETTER" obtained from Selective Service with this explanation. The Financial Aid Administrator determines whether the student’s reason qualifies for exempt status thereby making him eligible to receive aid. For additional information contact Selective Service: (847) 688-6888.
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