Is there a specific level and/or discipline that you're interested in, or are you looking for a general overview of the process?
This part is still true.U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Championship (senior), junior, and novice events will be offered in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• The top four placements in each discipline at the sectional championships will advance to the U.S. Championships.
It was top 6 for a few years but the current rule is top 5.• Skaters placing 1st through 6th in the previous U.S. Championships at the senior level in men, ladies, pairs and dance will receive an automatic invitation to the current U.S. Championships in the same discipline. There will be no replacements should skaters decline the invitation to compete at the current U.S. Championships. (Requires a rule change.)
This rule change eliminated the possibility of medical or injury byes being granted to advance a skaters through regionals or sectionals (no exceptions). The international competition bye applies if the assignment takes place 7 days before or after the skaters' Regionals or Sectionals (with a few exceptions).• There will be no byes given except to those skaters that have a conflict with an international competition (Requires a rule change).
This is currently true as well.• Should a senior skater who did not place in the top [six **now five] at the previous U.S. Championships, earn a berth in an ISU Grand Prix Final or the Junior Grand Prix Final, such skater shall receive a bye to the current U.S. Championships. (Also applies to a junior skater)
Qualifying for Junior Nationals (Nationals for the Juvenile and Intermediate levels) has changed since 2002-03
The 36 entries number is no longer true because the number of Juvenile/Intermediate singles skaters advancing from each of the 9 Regionals to Junior Nationals now depends on a percentage formula (number of entries by region vs. total entries, as mentioned by mskater93 above). This past season at JNs, for example, there were 42 Intermediate ladies (3 qualifying groups, 18 advanced to the final round), 40 Intermediate men (2 qual. groups, 20 advanced to the final round), 20 Intermediate pairs (no qual. round needed), and 23 Intermediate dance teams (2 qual. groups, 10 advanced to the final round).U.S. JUNIOR FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events for intermediates and juveniles will be offered in men, ladies, pairs and dance.
• There will be 36 entries offered in each event with four from each region
This part is outdated and no longer true.• Fill-up rules will be considered from other sections when one of the sections has fewer than the maximum entries. At no time will a competitor who placed lower than 6th place at a regional championship be invited to compete at the U.S. Junior Championships even though the event may not have the required number of fifteen
Currently true, except that if there are 4 or fewer senior men (all would automatically advance to Sectionals), a senior men's event does not have be held at regionals unless the skaters choose to compete.NINE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Events from juvenile to senior levels in men and ladies short program and free skating will be offered.
As gkelly mentioned above, 2009-09 will the first season in which "all the pairs and dance qualifying [juvenile/intermediate] now starts at sectionals rather than regionals."• Events will be offered from juvenile to novice levels in dance and pairs.
This rule now applies to novice pairs and dance, in addition to junior and senior.All junior and senior pairs and dance will bypass the regional championships and go directly to the sectional championships. (Requires a rule change)
Currently the top 4 juvenile and intermediate SINGLES placements will advance; however, some regionals will advance more than 4 due to the percentage plan (mentioned in my previous post above).• The top four juvenile and intermediate placements in each discipline will qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships