<p>My parents haven't gotten their 2009 tax returns yet. Also, what should I do about the Selective Service question? I'm not too positive my parents or myself are too fond of selecting the "Yes" option.</p>
<p>If you do not register with the selective service you are not eligible for any federal financial aid at all. You will also be ineligible for certain jobs and benefits forever. Financial aid aside, all males (with a few exceptions such as foreign diplomats) living in America are required by law (and have been for decades) to register when they turn 18 and before they turn 26.</p>
<p>As far as the tax returns - you can estimate income now for FAFSA and correct later when taxes are filed.</p>
<p>The 2010-2011 FAFSA became available for online submission on January 1, 2010. You should do it in keeping with the deadline for the schools to which you are applying. If the school has a January or February deadline…here’s what you do.</p>
<p>File your FAFSA using a “will file” status which means you WILL file your taxes but have not yet done so. Use the BEST possible estimates based on your end of year pay stubs, interest statements etc. Then submit it to the school(s).</p>
<p>Do your taxes as soon as reasonably possible after Feb 1 when you have all of your 2009 documentation. Go back IN to the FAFSA website and amend your FAFSA to reflect the figures from your 2009 completed tax return and resubmit to the college(s). Change your status to “taxes completed”. </p>
<p>This is the year you want to get your taxes done as soon as possible. It is NOT the year to wait until April 15th to complete your taxes.</p>
<p>Re: the selective service question…it’s not a choice. If you want federally funded need based aid, and you are a male, you MUST register for the selective service.</p>
<p>Regarding the selective service, must the registration be done <em>with</em> the FAFSA or, based upon the fact that the student has until age 26 to do so, can we wait? Also, how is this handled if the student cannot serve for medical reasons?</p>
<p>You cannot get any federal aid (including student loans) unless you are registered. There is no draft and has not been one for decades, so being able or unable to serve is irrelevant. But males have to be registered.</p>
<p>Yeah, what if we aren’t even 18 yet?</p>
<p>If you are going to be 18 within the next 8 months, i believe you can register now. Perhaps someone can verify this.</p>
<p>When we got the SAR report, I believe it said that they would automatically register my son a month before his 18th birthday, so it doesn’t matter that you’re not yet 18.</p>
<p>I believe you have to check the “yes” box for them to register you…but I’m not really sure. My son is 25 and he was already registered when he did his first FAFSA.</p>