To read and print the PDF files: Windows and Macintosh users may download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader here. Windows, Macintosh. 

Request for Status Information Letter

There may be a time when a man declares that he is not registered with the Selective Service System and is applying for any of the following benefits or programs linked to the registration requirement:

• federal student loans and grant programs
• federal job training under the Workforce Investment Act
• federal jobs or security clearance as a contractor 
• U.S. citizenship

He may ask that the agency granting the benefit or financial aid officer processing his loan not to hold up the approval process pending a status information letter from the Selective Service System because there are certain conditions that do not require a man to have a status information letter from Selective Service.

No status information letters are required from the Selective Service System for :

Note to financial aid officers: If the man falls within one of the following categories, a Status Information Letter from Selective Service is NOT required if he can provide a copy of supporting documentation proving his case to your satisfaction. For more information, please consult the latest Student Financial Aid Handbook, Volume 1, Chapter 5, Page 1-61. To refer to the handbook, please click here.

• Non-U.S. male who came into this country for the first time after his 26^th birthday

Date of entry stamp in his passport, I-94 with date of entry stamp on it, or a letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicating the date the man entered the United States. If the men entered the U.S. illegally after his 26^th birthday, he must provide proof that he was not living in the U.S. from age 18 through 25. Resident Alien Card (Green Card) is not valid as proof of the date of entry to the United States.

• Non-U.S. male on a valid non-immigrant visa

For example, if the man entered the United States as an F-1 student visa and remained in that status until his 26^th birthday, he would need to provide documentation indicating that he was admitted on an F-1 visa and attended school full-time as required. Acceptable documentation for this situation include a copy of his I-20 form or a letter from the school he attended indicating his full-time attendance as a non-immigrant alien. The same thing applies for all non-immigrant statuses.

• A male born prior to 1960

Official government issued document showing date of birth such as state ID card, driver’s license, passport, birth certificate.

• A veteran

            DD-214 or current fulltime active duty orders, military ID card. For men over age

            26 who failed to register, active duty U.S. military service is compelling

            evidence that their failure to register was not knowing and willful.

Who Must Register

Almost all male U.S. citizens, and male aliens living in the U.S., who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. It's important to know that even though he is registered, a man will not automatically be inducted into the military. In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces.

Men 18 through 25 years old may still register with Selective Service up until their 26^th birthday. To determine who must register with Selective Service, check here

         http://www.sss.gov/FSwho.htm

A chart of who must register is also available.

There are various ways to register: http://www.sss.gov/FSregist.htm

Status Information Letter and turnaround time:

On the other hand, due to the upsurge in volume of requests for “status information letters” verifying a man’s registration status with Selective Service, the turnaround time for such letter from Selective Service is approximately 90 days.

NOTE: Once you receive your Status Information Letter from Selective Service keep the original copy in your permanent files and provide a copy to the agency or school requesting your Status Information Letter.

For your convenience, you can download the Request for Status Information Letter form, which includes the instructions for completing this form.  This document is in a PDF format.

FINAL DECISION – The benefit agency official handling your case, not the Selective Service, will determine whether you have shown that your failure to register was not a knowing and willful failure to register. The final decision regarding your eligibility for the benefit that you seek will be made by the agency granting the benefit (for example, for student financial aid, this would be the school’s financial aid officer). In some agencies, an appeals process is available.

Reference links on the Selective Service registration requirements.

• Below is the Department of Education’s link to Chapter 5 of its Student Financial Aid Handbook (2009-2010) relating to Selective Service registration:

                   http://www.ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/0910FSAHbkVol1Ch5.pdf

• Here is a link to the Department of Education’s regulations: 34 CFR 668.37:

                   http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/julqtr/34cfr668.37.htm

• Also see, Selective Service Web site:

                   http://www.sss.gov/FSmen.htm