FAFSA help

<p>I won't be turning 18 until June this year. Should I choose to select "Selective Service" ? Is it required?</p>

<p>If you are a male, you MUST register for the Selective Service when you turn 18 to receive federal aid. The easiest way to do it is to check the box that authorizes the feds to register you (then follow up on the SS website when you turn 18 to make sure you did in fact get registered).</p>

<p>Not only do you have to register (it is the law, whether or not you are a student) it also can trip you up later in life if you have not complied. </p>

<p>For instance, fast forward a few years. You are applying for a sensitive government job (lawyer, CIA agent, tax officer, even park ranger) – if it comes to light that you chose not be in compliance with a federal law, then you may have just trashed your chances (may – maybe not). </p>

<p>If you don’t like the law as it is currently written, then contact your congressperson. It’s crazy to drop out of college financing and hurt future employment opportunities because of this law – I hope you will comply for now and complain about the law to those who can change it (right now it is sexist – females do not need to register!).</p>

<p>Oh, I see now that you are 17. Yes, you can check “please register me” which moves the FAFSA forward. In a few weeks you will get a postcard from Selective Services that says “you are not yet 18. Please contact us when you are 18”. That’s all you need to do until June. Then go to the post office and fill out the post card.</p>

<p>Ah shoot, so I already submitted my FAFSA. Should I go back and make the correction?
The thing is, I’ve already been accepted to my first choice college with a full ride.</p>

<p>I filed mine yesterday. I remember seeing this. I don’t think it asked to register or not register. It just said, “Are you Part of Selective Service?” I just put no, and moved on. I am 17 and will be 18 in September. Did I do something wrong?</p>

<p>You actually can be prosecuted and get fines up to $250,000 and five years in jail. However this is not likely. What is more likely is that you may not get a job or security clearance later and not even know why. The Selective Service gets many calls from men in these situations.</p>

<p>Um…then can I change this?</p>

<p>When you are 18, you can just go to the selective service web site and register. It only takes one minute. </p>

<p>You are only 17 so you are not obligated to register until you are 18.</p>

<p>Keep your confirmation of registration, just in case the college asks you for it this year. Next year when you file your FAFSA, you will be able to say yes & your answer will be verified as true when the check is automatically made with Selective Service when your FAFSA is filed.</p>

<p>Ok, so I sent in corrections and updated it.</p>

<p>This has been a problem for “young” applicants. Until recently the Selective Service wanted applicants to submit their registration within one month (plus or minus) of their 18th birthdays. So if you’re filling out the FAFSA in January but don’t turn 18 until July (my son’s situation), FAFSA required you to check the box but the Selective Service didn’t want to hear from you yet.</p>

<p>The Selective Service website says that they now allow registration as much as nine months before the 18th birthday. This should solve most issues. Check the box. The draft will never be re-instituted unless they need more than half in the age group, and that’s unlikely to happen.</p>

<p>So basically I won’t have a chance to be enlisted in the army unless we have a World War 3 or something?</p>

<p>^^^
Right</p>

<p>

Yeah that would be true, or if you are the youngest.</p>

<p>Hey tomjonesistheman, where did you make the correction? Mine processed today, I went to the correction sheet, but I could not find the selective service option. Your help would be much appreciated!</p>

<p>bump. anyone know? My friends told me not to worry about it because I will be filling out the form after I turn 18. Is this true?</p>