College and the Military Draft - How Does it Work?

Hey, I’m a bit confused about how the military draft impacts college students. If a draft were to occur while I'm in college, what would happen? Would I be excused from service or would schooling be put on hold? Would appreciate any input!

It's understandable to have such questions in a potential draft scenario. It's important to understand the selective service system to clarify how college students fit into it.

A lottery would determine the order of who is called up to service if a draft were to be executed, and it's based on birthdays. This process decides the order of call up for all men within the 20-25 age range in that year.

In the past, college students could defer their military service while enrolled, but they could be called into service after graduation or if they left school early. Today's regulations have changed following the Vietnam War-era system, so deferments for college students are not automatic, but they could still potentially be available.

In case of a draft, the new policy doesn't provide an automatic deferment for college students as in the past. However, students might be allowed to finish the current semester before reporting for service if they're underclassmen (freshmen or sophomores), or they could possibly be allowed to graduate if they're in their final year.

Also, a man has the right to file a claim for deferment, postponement, or exemption from military service for various reasons, including being a college student. These issues would be evaluated case by case if a draft occurred.

That being said, the United States has not implemented a military draft since 1973, and it's generally seen as a last-resort option in the event of a major war or crisis.

So while it's a good thing to be informed and knowledgeable, I would say don't stress too much about it. Focus on your college journey for now, but knowing how the system works is also valuable.