Key Points
- U.S. law requires men ages 18-25 to register with Selective Service, though federal student aid is no longer withheld for non-registration.
- Failing to register can still affect access to state-based aid, jobs, or citizenship in some cases.
- A military draft would require congressional and presidential action, and none has occurred since 1973.
At 18, most young men in the United States have to take an important action: register with the Selective Service (aka the draft). While this has always been a part of high school civics, federal law continues to mandate registration for nearly all men ages 18 through 25.
Selective Service registration is a legal obligation. Recent changes mean that failing to register will no longer block students from receiving federal financial aid. Still, the consequences for ignoring it can reach beyond college campuses, affecting job eligibility, citizenship, and access to certain state benefits.
Who Must Register And Who Doesn't
Under current law, U.S. citizens and noncitizen men between the ages of 18 and 25 must register for Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. That includes green card holders, refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented immigrants.
Those assigned male at birth are required to register, even if they later identify as female. Transgender men and individuals assigned female at birth are not required to register.
Certain groups are exempt, including currently active-duty military personnel, international students on visas, hospitalized individuals, and incarcerated men. Some men in the U.S. temporarily may also be exempt depending on their visa status.
The Selective Service does not currently accept conscientious objector status at the time of registration. Objections to military service are reviewed only if a draft is reinstated and a registrant is called up.
Financial Aid And Job Access
Historically, the threat of losing federal student aid pushed compliance. The Solomon Amendment, passed in the 1980s, made Selective Service registration a condition for receiving Pell Grants, federal student loans, and work-study.
That changed with the FAFSA Simplification Act, which Congress passed in 2020. Starting with the 2023-24 academic year, male students are no longer asked about their Selective Service status on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and financial aid eligibility no longer depends on registration.
Still, many states have their own registration-linked rules. In Alaska, young men must register to qualify for the Permanent Fund dividend. More than 30 states require registration for some combination of driver’s licenses, public jobs, or state financial aid.
Eleven states do not impose state penalties or automatic registration: California, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.
Men who fail to register by age 26 can be permanently ineligible for some federal jobs and naturalization unless they can show their failure was not willful.
What Happens If The Draft Returns?
The U.S. has not drafted anyone into military service since the Vietnam War ended in 1973. The armed forces have been all-volunteer for over 50 years.
A draft cannot occur without new action from both Congress and the president. If it did, the Selective Service System would use birth dates in a randomized lottery to determine induction order. Registrants with the lowest numbers would receive notices for evaluations, and would have a chance to seek deferments or alternative service.
There is also a little-known “special-skills draft” plan for medical professionals. The Selective Service has had systems in place since the 1980s to quickly mobilize licensed health care workers, including dentists and nurses, if needed.
But so far, no administration has pushed for reinstatement of the draft, and public support remains low.
Bottom Line
Registering with Selective Service remains a legal obligation for young men, even though the draft is dormant and FAFSA no longer enforces it. Ignoring the requirement might not derail a student’s education, but it can complicate job searches, state aid, or even citizenship applications.
For most 18-year-olds, the registration process takes just a few minutes online. And while it may feel like a relic of another era, Selective Service remains ready to be activated if needed. And with ongoing tensions throughout the world, there are concerns that it could start again.
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Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.
He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.