Are the penalties of not signing up for selective service at age 18 that strict?

Paying for College
1

<p>So definitely no FASFA or government financial aid for not registering, right?
And you really lose your citizenship too?
Even if you eventually register before age 26?</p>

<h1>CONSEQUENCES FOR NOT REGISTERING</h1>

<p>The maximum penalty for failing to register with Selective Service is a $250,000 fine and up to five years in prison. Failure to register will cause ineligibility for a number of federal and state benefits including:</p>

<h1>FEDERAL JOBS</h1>

<p>A man must be registered to be eligible for jobs in the Executive Branch of the Federal government and the U.S. Postal Service. This applies only to men born after December 31, 1959.</p>

<h1>STUDENT FINANCIAL AID</h1>

<p>Men who are not registered with Selective Service cannot obtain Federal student loans or grants. This includes Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans.</p>

<h1>CITIZENSHIP</h1>

<p>The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) makes registration with Selective Service a condition for U.S. citizenship, if the man first arrived in the U.S. before his 26th birthday and was required to register.</p>

<h1>FEDERAL JOB TRAINING</h1>

<p>The Workforce Investment Act (formerly JTPA) offers important job-training opportunities. This program is only open to those men who register with Selective Service.</p>

<h1>STATE JOBS, LOANS, AND TRAINING</h1>

<p>Most states have added additional penalties for those who fail to register with Selective Service.</p>

2

<p>Well you’re not going to get thrown in the slammer or pay a fine, but yes, you won’t be able to file the FAFSA or work for the federal government and all that jazz. But frankly, regardless of if you plan on applying for Financial Aid I <em>would</em> register. Even though they haven’t thrown anyone in jail or fined them for decades for refusing to do so you may want to one day work in the government or something like that and you won’t be able to get a job. But, it’s your choice.</p>

3

<p>You can certainly file a FAFSA, but you won’t be entitled to federal grants, loans or work-study.</p>

4

<p>Reecy…please clarify post #3. My understanding is that IF the male student is old enough to register for the selective service and checks NO on the FAFSA, the document will not submit properly…it will get coded and flagged.</p>

5

<p>Nikki, wrote on a separate thread regarding registering SS</p>

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<p>It’s the law. (The above is from [Register</a> for the Draft: It’s Still the Law](<a href=“http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/defenseandsecurity/a/draftreg.htm]Register”>Do You Still Have to Register for the Draft?))</p>

7

<p>If a draft is instituted, I imagine the penalties would be quite severe for those not registering. But since there is not currently a draft, the govt isn’t going to spend a lot of time and money rounding up non-compliant young men. Neither do they spend money determining whether someone is a conscientious objector. The question of CO status is moot until a draft is started and the person is called to report.</p>

<p>Knowing that it is the law, why wouldn’t you want to register with SSS?</p>

8

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<p>Probably because even though “it’s the law” in theory,practically it is not since its not enforced.</p>

9

<p>Really, why wouldn’t you?</p>

<p>It takes 30 seconds to do.</p>

10

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It is enforced, just not by jail time. You cannot get any federal funds - that includes the unsubsidized Stafford loans that all students are eligible for otherwise. You cannot gain employment with the federal government. You cannot receive any federal benefits to which you otherwise may be entitled. </p>

<p>Those penalties are enforced, and quite strongly.</p>

11

<p>And it can haunt you your ENTIRE life.</p>

12

<p>What if you are an avowed pacifist and will not fight in any war unless it is directed at the US? If a draft were enforced for, let’s say, a foreign war, wouldn’t this put you in direct contradiction with your beliefs since you’ve registered and pledged to fight, in essence, that foreign war?</p>

13

<p>Then you could dodge it. Many people have done it before. And you probably won’t be picked, and if you are they’ll relegate you to a non-combat role assuming you have the right proof. I.e. you’ll be doing menial labor, nursing, whatever the army needs just not combat . Great deal I suppose. That being said, the people who ought to be scared of being drafted aren’t kids, its doctors believe it or not.</p>

14

<p>davezhan – when you register you do not “pledge to fight” in any way. Registration is meant as a means for the government to know how many able-bodied males are available in the case of a draft. If a draft were ever to be instituted (and it takes more than just some guy in the Army saying “hey, let’s start a draft”) then you would have the opportunity to register as a conscientious objector.</p>

<p>Think of registering for the selective service along the lines of getting a driver’s license and paying income tax. You might not like it – but it is the law and the consequences for no complying can really cause you some problems.</p>

15

<p>just sign up. why would you not? do you think that, in the .00000000001% chance that there will be a draft again, your life is more important than someone elses? i dont care if you dont believe in the war. that is the price that you pay for freedom. suck it up.</p>

<p>Why would you not sign up?!</p>

<p>i can’t even fathom this thread… </p>

<p>…way to think that you are better than other people…</p>

16

<p>Posts #10 and #14 contain responsible counsel for a serious question. </p>

<p>During the Vietnam War, when there was a draft, Selective Service had a formal review process for expressing yourself as a conscientious objector to war, in the event of a draft. That is not “dodging.” Dodging was moving to Canada or hiding under a different identity, which some did to protest or dodge THAT particular war. Dodging breaks the law and requires you to live underground or in a country without chance to return, so don’t easily tell another to “dodge” a draft.</p>

<p>People whose prior pacifist activities and religious beliefs made a real case for objecting to ALL wars (not just a particular war) appeared before the draft board and made that case to a tribunal. They were awarded that status, or not. It is a recognized part of the military that there could be some American citizens whose conscience will not allow them to fight in any war. It can’t be about the politics of a particular war; it has to concern all warfare. </p>

<p>The army doesn’t want those people serving in battle, so it behooves nobody to force them to enlist. Some were assigned by their draft boards to “Alternative Service” for example work in hospitals for 2 years in their home communities, rather than be in the army in Vietnam. Others performed non-combatant duties overseas on army bases, depending on the maximum that their conscience would allow, and following the direction of the military. They didn’t make up their assignments.</p>

<p>Today, the U.S. has a volunteer army only. As I read about it, the military leaders prefer a lean, well-managed, motivated group of volunteers. There is technology and computer-smarts that replace the need for the huge numbers of people that were the Vietnam-era troops. That’s what I read; I don’t know first-hand.</p>

<p>I think you should update my information here and find out what is the process, if any, for Conscientious Objectors under today’s new military with the volunteer army.
Also, are they saying anything about what would happen to the old C.O. process if a draft were to be reinstated sometime in the future.</p>

<p>As for registering now, I’d urge you to reread posts 10 and 14. Don’t object now by not registering; the consequences are severe. Instead, the place to object–if ever necessary–is in dialogue with your draft board in the event a draft is reinstated, and at that time you would make a case that you are a conscientious objector. </p>

<p>I recall young men in every circumstance during the '60’s, from soldiers to ex-pats in Canada to C.O.'s, and nobody had an easy path.</p>

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<p>"just sign up. why would you not? do you think that, in the .00000000001% chance that there will be a draft again, your life is more important than someone elses? i dont care if you dont believe in the war. that is the price that you pay for freedom. suck it up.</p>

<p>Why would you not sign up?!</p>

<p>i can’t even fathom this thread… </p>

<p>…way to think that you are better than other people…"</p>

<p>Some wars are unnecessary. Some wars are unjust. Some wars are started for profit. Is it right to fight these wars knowing that they were started by corrupt leaders for personal gain?</p>

<p>“i dont care if you dont believe in the war. that is the price that you pay for freedom. suck it up.”</p>

<p>Let’s say that a president decides to start a war against…I don’t know…the United Kingdom, because the Prime Minister of the UK insulted a family member of the US President. Let’s say that the president institutes the draft.</p>

<p>Would you go on a surprise bombing run against civilians in London on the first night of the war just because you had been drafted and it was your “duty”?</p>

<p>I’m not sure how anyone could find the idea difficult to understand.</p>

18

<p>Are…are these people serious? Can anyone say fascism?</p>

19

<p>i second post #18 but of course I’ll still register SS. I just wanted to know the exact commitments I’m getting into. I especially thank poster #14 and #18 for providing valuable information! Kudos to them!</p>

<p>This case is officially closed, at least for me! :)</p>

20

<p>fizban - congratulations, you just made up a scenario that would never happen. it takes congress to reinstate the draft and i dont think that there are that many crazy people in government (or at least i would sincerely hope taht the democratic process is not that suceptable to stupidity)</p>

<p>the united states will probably never enter a war that is completely unjust. (please refrain from spewing your liberal garbage against the war in iraq. we went there to free people from tyranny… and i’m pretty sure tyranny is a bad thing… you know… the whole living in fear thing…that would def suck…)</p>