Selective Service

Assigned Male at Birth 

Regardless of current legal sex status, all people assigned male at birth must register with the selective service within 30 days of their 18th birthday.  They can register for the selective service through the secretary of state website or there is a selective service registration option on the FAFSA form.  If they do not register for the selective service within 30 days of their 18th birthday, they are not eligible for federal student financial aid. This FAQ website contains additional information. 

Assigned Female at Birth

For students who are assigned female at birth who change their legal sex to male before their 26th birthday, they are able, though not required, to register for Selective Service after their 18th birthday.  If they wish to be exempt, they will be asked to prove that they are exempt with a status information letter.  A status letter can be obtained by filling out a request form through the selective service website.  This request form includes a specific section marked “transsexual” and requires a copy of their birth certificate indicating birth-assigned sex, as well as, additional documentation indicating transition (medical or legal documentation).  One exemption letter may be used in multiple school financial aid processes.

Transgender students are welcome to contact Selective Service regarding their registration requirements if they are unclear about how they should answer Question 21 or Question 22 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or need a status information letter from Selective Service that clarifies whether or not they are exempt from the registration requirement. This can be done by calling the Registration Information Office on 1-888-655-1825.

This information can be found at the SSS’s Who Registers site.  For additional information about transgender people and the selective service, visit the National Center for Transgender Equality’s resource: Selective Service and Transgender People.