Registering for Selective Service Opens Access to Student Aid, Government Careers
New Awareness Campaign Aims to Increase Registration
ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Selective Service System (SSS) has launched a campaign to inform and remind young men of the requirement to register for the Selective Service. Thousands of men each year fail to register because they remain unaware of the requirement and are therefore at risk of not receiving key benefits.
"We want to educate young men so that they are aware, exercise their civic duty and register and most important, protect their benefits," said Selective Service Director Donald M. Benton. "Forty-five seconds online at sss.gov can potentially save you 45 years of headaches due to lost opportunities."
Although there is no draft at present, registration at sss.gov is essential to our Nation's security in the event of a national crisis. To remain eligible for opportunities such as Federal careers and student loan programs, every male in America must register when he turns 18. Eligibility to register ends when a man turns 25. After a man registers, he has protected his access to future benefits, including:
- Over $120 billion in Federal student aid provided to more than 13 million students each year.
- Job training under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
- Over 2.1 million Federal non-postal civilian jobs and nearly half a million U.S. Postal Service jobs.
- A citizenship process without delay.
Additionally, many states and private employers have policies making employment contingent on registration with the Selective Service.
The agency has produced four new public service announcements (PSAs) — three in English, one in Spanish — as part of a campaign to increase awareness of the need to register among the approximately 6,000 young men who turn 18 every day. The PSAs were distributed to more than 5,000 television, radio and digital media outlets and community organizations.
Seven of the counties with the lowest registration rates are in California: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, and Sacramento. Others are Clark, Nevada; King, Washington; Harris, Texas; Wayne, Michigan; Cook, Illinois; Philadelphia; and two in New York: Queens and Kings.
Educating young men on the need to register requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, which is why SSS works with national organizations, high schools, and community outreach groups to spread the word about the importance of signing up.
For more information on the campaign or to arrange an interview with an SSS spokesperson, contact [email protected] or Lyn Schultes at 571-214-3773. Any young men between the ages of 18 and 25 who have not registered may do so at sss.gov/register or their local post office. For more information on volunteering with SSS in your community, visit sss.gov/volunteers.
About the Selective Service System
The Selective Service System is an independent agency within the Executive Branch of the U.S. Federal Government. The Director of Selective Service is appointed by the President of the United States. Selective Service is not part of the Department of Defense. We are a trusted, actively engaged National Defense partner, and the sole source of conscripted talent for national security in the event of a national emergency. Our mission is to register men and maintain a system that, when authorized by the President and Congress, rapidly provides personnel in a fair and equitable manner while managing an alternative service program for conscientious objectors.
SOURCE Selective Service System
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