Ohio Maintains Draft Registration Requirement for State Student Aid Despite Federal Changes
Ohio keeps requiring draft registration for state student aid even after federal programs dropped the rule, creating extra barriers for male students seeking financial assistance.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio continues to require male students to register for Selective Service to receive state-based financial aid, even though federal student aid programs eliminated this requirement in 2021.
The Ohio Department of Higher Education maintains the draft registration requirement for state grants that serve students with high financial need, creating an additional barrier beyond federal eligibility criteria.
Male students between ages 18 and 25 must register for the draft during peacetime under requirements dating back to the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. The law was suspended in the mid-1970s but reinstated under the Carter administration in 1980, when it was linked to eligibility for federal student aid.
Federal Requirements Eliminated
For decades, male students verified their Selective Service registration on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for federal programs including Federal Direct Loans and Pell Grants.
The federal Selective Service requirement was terminated in 2021 under the FAFSA Simplification Act as part of bipartisan efforts to streamline the financial aid application process and expand eligibility.
The FAFSA Simplification Act aimed to remove barriers that prevented students from accessing federal financial assistance programs.
State-Level Requirements Persist
While FAFSA technically serves as an application for federal student aid, the Ohio Department of Higher Education also uses it to determine eligibility for state grants, particularly those targeting students with demonstrated high financial need.
State aid programs that require FAFSA data have historically adopted many baseline federal eligibility criteria, including the Selective Service registration requirement.
After the federal government eliminated the registration requirement, Ohio established new state aid regulations in 2023 that maintained the Selective Service requirement for state-funded programs.
This means Ohio male students must still register for the draft to access state financial aid, even though the federal requirement no longer exists for programs like Pell Grants and Federal Direct Loans.
The state’s decision to maintain the requirement creates a two-tiered system where students can access federal aid without Selective Service registration but need registration for state-based assistance.
Ohio’s approach contrasts with the federal government’s move toward simplifying aid applications and reducing barriers to higher education financing.
