Selective Service & Financial Aid

Male U.S. citizens are legally required to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Once men reach their 26th birthday, they can no longer register. Failure to register may cause men to permanently lose eligibility for government employment, job training, and U.S. citizenship for male immigrants. It can also affect some eligibility for financial aid.

Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, Selective Service registration is no longer a requirement to receive federal financial aid. It is, however, still a requirement to receive state financial aid offered by the state of Texas, and it is still a federal law that all men of applicable age must register. Texarkana College strongly encourages all students who are required to register for Selective Service to do so, both to give you access to state financial aid right now, and to protect your eligibility for federal financial aid in the future should the regulations later change. If you are between age 18 – 26, you can register quickly and securely online at https://sss.gov.

Those required to register with Selective Service are:

• Any male United States citizen who is at least 18 and has not reached his 26th birthday.
• Male non-citizens who take up residency in the U.S. before their 26th birthday
• Dual nationals that fall within the ages of 18 and 26

Those who are exempt from Selective Service registration are:

• Males currently serving active duty in the military
• Males who are not yet 18 at the time that they complete the FAFSA
• Citizens of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia
• Males born before 1960
• Student was unable to register due to being hospitalized, incarcerated, or institutionalized during the entire time student was age 18 to 26
• Student is enrolled in any officer procurement program at certain universities
• Student is a commissioned public health service officer on active duty
• Non-immigrants visiting the U.S. on a student visit or visas and who are part of a diplomatic or trade mission with their families.
• Non-citizens who first entered the U.S. after turning age 26.
• Non-citizens who entered the U.S. as lawful non-immigrants on a valid visa and remained in the U.S. on the terms of that visa until after they turned 26 (the date of entry on Form 1-94 will be relevant).