The Financial Aid C-Flag Selective Service Process The Solution Center The Financial Aid C-Flag Selective Service Process

Objective How to identify a Selective Service C-Flag What you will learn? How to identify a Selective Service C-Flag What acceptable documentation is required How to receive documents How to identify the C-Flag has been resolved

Eligibility Requirements Male students between the ages of 18 and 25 must be registered with Selective Service System (SSS) to be eligible for financial aid

How to Register with SSS Request record to be sent electronically to Selective Service to process registration via FAFSA Register online at the Selective Service website (www.sss.gov) Complete registration form at any local post office

Who is NOT Required to Register? Females Males currently in the armed services and on active duty (this exception does not apply to members of the Reserve and National Guard who are not on active duty) Males who are not yet 18 at the time that they complete their applications (Student is temporarily exempt during the year; an update is not required during the year, even if a student turns 18 after completing the application) Males born before 1960 Citizens of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia* Noncitizens who first entered the U.S. after they turned 26 Noncitizens who entered the U.S. as lawful nonimmigrants on a valid visa and remained in the U.S. on the terms of that visa until after they turned 26 Transgender males who were assigned the sex of female at birth do not have to register. (If the student was born a male, they are required to register)

FAFSA Matches Central Processing System (CPS) performs a match with the SSS to determine if relevant students are registered Unsuccessful matches results generate an ISIR Comment Code and C-Flag

Successful Match Successful matches generate a “Registration Status Confirmed’ under database matches, but no comment code View Database matches on FA ISIR Corrections Page, fourth tab

Unsuccessful Matches Comment Code 030: SS Registration not confirmed; student must either register or provide acceptable documentation to FAO View comment codes and database match flag on FA ISIR Corrections Page, third/fourth tab

Forward Record to SSS SSS Flag Comment Code Comment Code 031: Students who requested to be registered for SSS via the FAFSA form will have the following flag and comment codes: SSS Flag Comment Code

C-Flag Checklist Checklist Assign Mod assigns “Selective Service Registration” checklist to students with a unsuccessful match View checklists on FA Status Page

Acceptable Documentation Student must provide the FAO with documentation proving their registration or exemption from registration Documents from every situation may be carried forward from year to year Acceptable forms of documentation include, but are not limited to: Eligible to Register (18-25yrs old): Selective Service Registration Acknowledgement Selective Service Letter of Registration Selective Service Letter stating student is exempt from registering

Acceptable Documentation (cont.) Exempt from Registering: Passport showing student entered the USA after the age of 26 A “general exemption letter” (codes E1-E8) or a “DOB before 1960” letter (code NR) copy of his DD Form 214, “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,” showing military service in the armed forces   Required to Register and Did Not: A Foreign Passport or Letter from Selective Service showing they were required to register and then appeal this A personal statement summarizing that they did not "knowingly or willfully" fail to register. In this statement they may address where they were living during the time they were required to register, and why they were unaware of the requirement

Acceptable Documentation (cont.) School Certification: The school may use the Selective Service System web page at www.sss.gov to confirm the student’s status A printout of the web page is acceptable documentation that the student is registered

Notifications Student receives a Missing Information Letter (MIL) notification from Financial Aid Office requesting proof of Selective Service Registration.   MIL notifications are sent to the Student’s UMass Lowell Email Account every 21 days until completed Students may also view missing items under iSiS self-service “To Do List” at anytime

How to Receive the Document Team member must: Review document for validity (does not have to be original) Confirm personal statements are signed and dated by student Stamp “date” Update Checklist status to “received”

Verify C-Flag Cleared by FAO Checklist status is “Completed” Selective Service override flag checked Comment indicating type of documentation provided and reviewed