University Students And The Draft: Who's Eligible?

The possibility of being drafted while attending university can be unsettling for students. While mandatory military drafts have not been used in the United States since 1973, the Selective Service System has been maintained as a contingency plan. If a draft was implemented, university students could be granted a postponement of service, or a deferment, for the duration of their studies. During the Vietnam War, students were initially allowed deferments, but this changed partway through the war, and students could only defer until the end of the current semester or, if it was their senior year, until the end of the school year. While the specifics of a modern draft would depend on the manpower needed, the chances of a draft being implemented today are currently very low.

University students were initially allowed deferments during the Vietnam War

The change in policy came about as the war escalated and the US Army needed more recruits. In 1965, the US Defense Department ordered enlistment quotas of 27,400 men in September and 33,600 in October—the highest since the Korean War. The military began to draft college men, but the Selective Service System (SSS) claimed this would only affect a small percentage of students. The SSS instituted a system of academic evaluation, under which local draft boards would defer students based on intellectual ability. This was determined by class rank and score on the Selective Service Qualification Test.

The draft was extremely controversial, and many young men sought to avoid it. Aside from university deferments, some of the ways men avoided the draft included enlisting in a different branch of the military, registering as a conscientious objector, getting married and having children, claiming a medical condition, fleeing the country, or burning their draft card.

The rules changed during the Vietnam War

The rules regarding drafting university students did indeed change during the Vietnam War.

Before the reforms of 1971, a man could qualify for a student deferment if he was a full-time student making satisfactory progress in any field of study. This deferment could be maintained until the student was too old to be drafted. During the Vietnam War, college students were initially allowed these deferments, essentially a postponement of service, for as long as they were enrolled in college.

However, the rules changed partway through the war. The new regulations stated that students could only defer their service until the end of the current semester, or, if it was their final year of study, until the end of the academic year. This change was implemented to make the draft fairer and more equitable.

The change in rules caused a great deal of uncertainty for potential draftees, who no longer knew if they would be drafted. This uncertainty, along with the intensification of the war effort, fuelled the antiwar movement.

Male US citizens and immigrants must register with the Selective Service System

There are a few exceptions to this rule. Non-immigrant men living in the US on a valid visa are not required to register as long as they remain on a valid visa until they turn 26. Additionally, men who are continuously institutionalized or confined from 30 days before they turn 18 through age 25 are exempt from registering. If a man is placed in a hospital, nursing home, long-term care facility, or mental institution on or before his 18th birthday and remains there until his 26th birthday, he is not required to register. Similarly, if a man is confined to his home or a group home on or before his 18th birthday and cannot leave without medical assistance, and remains homebound until his 26th birthday, he is also exempt from registering.

Failure to register with the Selective Service System is a violation of the Military Selective Service Act and may result in imprisonment of up to five years and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

The Selective Service System has been maintained as a contingency plan

The draft has been used six times in American history: during the American Revolution, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Since the Vietnam War, the US military has been all-volunteer.

If the draft was ever reinstated by Congress, all men aged 18-25 who are US citizens or immigrants living in the US would be eligible. However, there are many reasons for temporary or permanent deferment, including college enrolment.

During the Vietnam War, college students were initially given deferments for as long as they were enrolled. However, the rules changed, and students could only defer until the end of the current semester, or, if it was their senior year, until the end of the school year.

If the draft was reinstated today, college students could hypothetically still receive a deferment, but this is not guaranteed. The specifics would depend on the reason for the draft and the number of people needed. While it is possible for a student to be pulled out of college due to a draft, the likelihood is small given the current state of the US military and draft system.

The draft is unlikely to be re-instituted

Furthermore, the way wars are fought today is very different from the past. Wars are now more strategic and technology-based, with the use of drones, for example. The United States also has a sizable military with enough servicemen and women to meet its needs. The volunteer program, alongside those in the Reserves and the National Guard, is sufficient to fulfil manpower requirements.

In the event of a national emergency that required a draft, there is a specific sequence of events that would need to unfold. Congress would need to amend the Military Selective Service Act, and the President would need to induce personnel into the Armed Forces. Selective Service would then be activated, and a lottery would be conducted to determine the order in which individuals would receive induction orders. However, these steps seem improbable given the current context and the low likelihood of a draft being implemented.

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