Evening star., 1954-10-21
Druftees and
Veterans
By Moi. Thon,os M. Nal

Z s - e.
By Moi. Thomas N. NiuI
After the first Of the year. It's
going to be tougher for college
students TO get draft deferments
to do graduate work. seiective
Service has tightened UP the
two requirements.
No changes have been made.
however, in the requirements for
deferments to do undergraduate
work or to go into professional.
schools such as medicine. dentis-
try. veterinary medicine. phar-
macy, etc.
Generally, to be eligible for
STUDENT deferments-except for
the first one, which is automatic
you must get a certain score on
q college qualification test or
have a certain scholastic rank in
your previous class. Your draft
hoard takes these two factors
together or separately--and de-
ciass whether you should be
deferred.
Rating Is Raised
Local draft boards generally
have been requiring students
wanting to do graduate work to
score at least rs on the COT
or to rank in the upper one-half
Of the male students in their
senior classes.
After January /. however. Sc
lective Service headquarters has
set the requirements to do grad
uate work at: Cd A score OF at
least 80 on the COT or CD a
senior class rank in the upper
one-fourth of the male students.
For deferments to do under
graduate work or in a profess
sional school. you must have q
COT test score Of at least 10.
About SO per cent of all college
students who have taken the test
have scored 10 or better. The
COT is given once semester at
various testing centers through
out the country. You may take
the COT only once.
The scholastic rank you must
attain depends on what class
you're in-the upper half OF the
freshman class, upper two
thirds of the sophomore class.
upper three-fourths of the junior
class. For professional school
deferments, your scholastic class
rank must always be in the up
per half Of the previous years
class.
Deferment for One Year
Your draft board doesn't auto
matically give you a deferment
just because you meet these
standards, however. It's up to
your draft board to make a de-
cision in each case. It can
completely disregard the stand
ards if it wishes or if it has
to make quota.
If you're given a defern1ent
on the basis of your test score
and your scholastic class rank.
it'll be for only a year. Your
draft board, however, may con-
tinue to give you one-year de-
ferments on this basis until
final graduation. Such defer
ments are automatically ended
If you drop out of school or stop
doing satisfactory work.
It's up to you, to ask for
the deferment shortly after you
finish your academic year. That's
when your draft board, under
law, must reconsider your pres
ent deferment.
The first move to assure de-
ferment for the next school year
will be to inform your board that
you intend to ask for one. You'll
also have to tell your school to
send a form to your board show
ing how you ranked in your
class.
1t may take a little time for
your school to figure this out.
but don't let that stop you from
telling your board that you're
going to ask for a deferment
Tehn, when it comes time for
your board to reconsider your
classification, your notice will be
on file, and the board will con-
slider your request automatically
The board may call you in to
talk to you at the time it re-
considers. This is a detail left
to individual draft boards and
depends on how hard pressed
they are for men to met their
draft calls.
Don't forget that once you're
given a deferment you're auto
matically eligible for the draft
until you reach 35.
fYou may tDrite Maj. Nal
In care OF The Star about
your serUice-connected prob
lem. Please inclose a stamped.
self-GddreSsed envelope and 20
cents TN coin.J
(From Associated Press Newsfeaturesl