I got threatened with jail time after applying for financial aid

I don't know too much about this whole thing but it just kind of trips me out

In early april I applied for Federal Student Aid, which I'm sure plenty of others have done. I'm a married man with 2 kids making a sustainable living, however can't fork out the extra money for school. My wife also filled her application out at the same time. She got her approval a little under a month later, and I was like "hey, what about me???" (we're attending the same college).
About a week later, I recieved a letter that said "we've recieved your application for FSA, and it is being processed, however you are required to register for selective service before approval can be given. Visit www.SSS.gov, or fill out the attached form and mail it back to us in the pre-addressed envelope. If registration is not recieved, your application will not be processed and you will be prosecuted which can result in jail time. We don't want to prosecute you, so please register as soon as possible."

WTF is that?? I'm not a fighter, don't support the wars, but I DO support the troops. However I don't wanna be one, I just support them from afar. lol
It just leaves a bitter taste for them to say "register so we can come get you when we draft, or you'll go to jail".... I definitely would not be a proud soldier after having to choose between jail and combat.

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


I dunno, man, sounds scary.. As much as I hate complying and being told what to do, i wouldn't want to go to jail either.. good luck

Just register. Save yourself the hassle. Extraordinary circumstances would be required to reenact the draft (which is what the SSS is) and being a college students exempts you from it anyway.

There is not going to be a draft. You're fine. Relax.

See? All better now.

I think registration has been mandatory since the early eighties.

reply to post by SG-17


I'm gonna take 1 class per semester for the rest of my life. Will that excuse me?? lol

reply to post by ReluctantBlossom


Have they threatened to jail people since the 80's?

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine

We don't want to prosecute you,

They were nice to you.

Register and get your college benefits.

When they kick up the draft, hightail it to Canada.


Nevermind, Canada will be part of NAU by then.

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


No, you need to be a full time student. But as I said, unless World War III breaks out there won't be a draft. Plus there are a myriad of other exemptions, including flat feet, asthma, vision problems, family concerns, etc etc.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
I don't know too much about this whole thing but it just kind of trips me out

In early april I applied for Federal Student Aid, which I'm sure plenty of others have done. I'm a married man with 2 kids making a sustainable living, however can't fork out the extra money for school. My wife also filled her application out at the same time. She got her approval a little under a month later, and I was like "hey, what about me???" (we're attending the same college).
About a week later, I recieved a letter that said "we've recieved your application for FSA, and it is being processed, however you are required to register for selective service before approval can be given. Visit www.SSS.gov, or fill out the attached form and mail it back to us in the pre-addressed envelope. If registration is not recieved, your application will not be processed and you will be prosecuted which can result in jail time. We don't want to prosecute you, so please register as soon as possible."

WTF is that?? I'm not a fighter, don't support the wars, but I DO support the troops. However I don't wanna be one, I just support them from afar. lol
It just leaves a bitter taste for them to say "register so we can come get you when we draft, or you'll go to jail".... I definitely would not be a proud soldier after having to choose between jail and combat.

I think you are called a conscientious objector and you can be released from serving active duty based on that.

Here so far you only have to register.
In Israel every young man has to serve in the army for a certain period of time.

All males over the age of 18 are required to register.

It's funny, I was already in the military, I think it was in
1981 when they reinstituted registration, and I was told
I still had to go register...

They already know who you are, stop worrying and go fill
out the card, if the draft hits claim conscientious objector.

Filling out that little card is a whole lot simpler than
explaining why you didn't if they come looking for you.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
reply to post by ReluctantBlossom

 

Have they threatened to jail people since the 80's?

I never registered. I joined the service right after high school. 3 years later, I received a letter addressed to Sgt Beezzer, APO, blah blah blah (I was stationed in England at the time) threatening me with jail time if I didn't register.
It was a hoot!

Relax, register and forget about it.

*jedi mind wave*
These are not the drafties you are looking for.

Originally posted by beezzer
There is not going to be a draft. You're fine. Relax.

See? All better now.

If there is no worry of a draft, then why do they even need the selective service? And why is it so important to them that they are threatening people with jail unless they register?

Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by My.mind.is.mine

 

We don't want to prosecute you,

They were nice to you.

Register and get your college benefits.

When they kick up the draft, hightail it to Canada.


Nevermind, Canada will be part of NAU by then.

That part pissed me off. It's so easy for "them" to get "their" way.. I shoulda mailed it back and said "TRY ME."

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


It is the law that everyone register with the Selective Service at 18 years old. And the draft isn't for people that want to volunteer either. You could have been prosecuted simply for not registering when you were supposed to, but obviously many people are not aware. My nephews and daughters didn't know and were quite shocked to find out it wasn't their choice whether to do so or not. However, this just settles the legal requirement. When or if the draft was reinstated then people would be chosen by lottery. Of course there are reasons people are not able to serve in the military, but I will leave that up to you to discover. I think you are not drafted after age 36 or possibly later. I don't know your age, but by now you might not even have to worry about it. There has been calls over the last few years to reinstate the draft, but it hasn't passed through congress. However, you still have to register with the SS. I had to back in 1983, but joined up a few years later anyway. I think there are a lot of people unaware they are supposed to register by 18 for the selective service, you're not the only one.

reply to post by spirit_horse


I have about 16 years until I meet that 36 limit. =)

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


LOL i don't think that would be a very good idea

Originally posted by idunno12

Originally posted by beezzer
There is not going to be a draft. You're fine. Relax.

See? All better now.

If there is no worry of a draft, then why do they even need the selective service? And why is it so important to them that they are threatening people with jail unless they register?

This started 30 years ago. To my knowledge, no-one has ever served jail time. Just aother form to fill for the Peoples Republik. Maybe, at one time, there might have ben thoughts to bring back the draft. This started just 6 years after the fall of Saigon and the Vietnam draft. It's just a hold-over from the cold war.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine


That part pissed me off. It's so easy for "them" to get "their" way.. I shoulda mailed it back and said "TRY ME."

See if you can get a web connection in prison so you can tell us how well
that went for you.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
I don't know too much about this whole thing but it just kind of trips me out

In early april I applied for Federal Student Aid, which I'm sure plenty of others have done. I'm a married man with 2 kids making a sustainable living, however can't fork out the extra money for school. My wife also filled her application out at the same time. She got her approval a little under a month later, and I was like "hey, what about me???" (we're attending the same college).
About a week later, I recieved a letter that said "we've recieved your application for FSA, and it is being processed, however you are required to register for selective service before approval can be given. Visit www.SSS.gov, or fill out the attached form and mail it back to us in the pre-addressed envelope. If registration is not recieved, your application will not be processed and you will be prosecuted which can result in jail time. We don't want to prosecute you, so please register as soon as possible."

WTF is that?? I'm not a fighter, don't support the wars, but I DO support the troops. However I don't wanna be one, I just support them from afar. lol
It just leaves a bitter taste for them to say "register so we can come get you when we draft, or you'll go to jail".... I definitely would not be a proud soldier after having to choose between jail and combat.

Technically, you are required by law to register when you turn 18. They could have came to arrest you a long time ago.