<PAGE>   1
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 1998
                                                      Registration No. 33-______

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                             GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
<TABLE>
  <S>                                                          <C>
                  DELAWARE                                                  52-1483562
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)      (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
</TABLE>
                               

                              4200 PARLIAMENT PLACE
                                    SUITE 600
                           LANHAM, MARYLAND 20706-1860
                                  (301)918-0400

          (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES, INCLUDING ZIP CODE)

                           1995 GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.
                      INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION, NON-QUALIFIED
                 STOCK OPTION AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS PLAN
                           1995 GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.
                    NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLANS)

                                 ROBERT S. BOWEN
                             CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                              4200 PARLIAMENT PLACE
                                    SUITE 600
                           LANHAM, MARYLAND 20706-1860
                     (NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

                                 (301) 731-2300
          (TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

                                    COPY TO:
                            ARNOLD R. WESTERMAN, ESQ.
                        ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN
                          1050 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W.
                            WASHINGTON, DC 20036-5339

                                 ---------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
==============================================================================================
                                            PROPOSED       PROPOSED
                                            MAXIMUM        MAXIMUM
                              AMOUNT        OFFERING       AGGREGATE         AMOUNT OF
    TITLE OF SECURITIES       TO BE         PRICE          OFFERING          REGISTRATION
      TO BE REGISTERED        REGISTERED    PER SHARE      PRICE             FEE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>           <C>            <C>               <C>           
COMMON STOCK, $.01 PAR VALUE  400,000       $14.06(1)      $5,625,000.00(1)  $1,475.00
==============================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)  ESTIMATED SOLELY FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING THE REGISTRATION FEE IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 457(h) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND BASED ON THE
AVERAGE OF THE HIGH AND LOW PRICES OF THE COMMON STOCK AS REPORTED ON THE NASDAQ
NATIONAL STOCK MARKET ON JULY 14, 1998.


<PAGE>   2



                                    PART I

            INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

ITEM 1.     PLAN INFORMATION*

ITEM 2.     REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION*

*           Information about the Registrant required by Part I to be
            contained in a Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from the
            Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the
            Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and
            the Note to Part I of Form S-8.

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.     INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

      The following documents previously filed by the Registrant with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement:

      1.    The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
            ended March 31, 1998.

      2.    All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
            Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") since the
            end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 1998.

      3.    The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
            Registration Statement on Form 8-A (No. 0-15389), filed on
            February 13, 1987 with the Commission pursuant to Section 12 of
            the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
            Act"), including any subsequent amendment or report filed for the
            purpose of updating such description.

      In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Registrant
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall
be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration
Statement to the extent that a statement herein or in any other subsequently
filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified
or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded to
constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.     DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

      Not Applicable.



                                       1
<PAGE>   3



ITEM 5.     INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

      Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.     INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

      Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended,
provides that a corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened,
pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving
at its request in such capacity in another corporation or business
association, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines
and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in
connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and
in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

      Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended,
permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a
director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation
or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of
loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions
not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper
personal benefit.

      Article TWELFTH of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended, provides for the elimination of personal liability of a director for
breach of fiduciary duty as permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware
General Corporation Law, and also provides that the Registrant may indemnify
its directors and officers to the full extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.

      Article VI of the Registrant's By-Laws, as amended, provides that the
Registrant shall indemnify directors and officers to the fullest extent
permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

      The Registrant has in effect a directors and officers liability
insurance policy under which the directors and officers of the Registrant are
insured against loss arising from claims made against them due to wrongful
acts while acting in their individual and collective capacities as directors
and officers, subject to certain exclusions.

                                       2
<PAGE>   4

ITEM 7.     EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

      Not applicable.

ITEM 8.     EXHIBITS

      See Exhibit Index on page 7.

ITEM 9.     UNDERTAKINGS

      (a)   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

            (1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
      being made of the securities registered hereby, a post-effective
      amendment to this Registrant Statement:

                      (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
           of the Securities Act;

                      (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
           arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or
           the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
           or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
           information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding
           the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities
           offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not
           exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or
           high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in
           the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
           424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price
           represent no more than a twenty percent (20%) change in the maximum
           aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
           Registration Fee" table in the effective Registration Statement; and

                      (iii) To include any material information with respect to
           the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this
           Registration Statement or any material change to such information in
           this Registration Statement;

provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (1)(i) and
(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a
post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports
filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement.

            (2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
      the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
      to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
      therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
      deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

            (3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
      amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
      the termination of the offering.


      (b) The Registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the


                                       3
<PAGE>   5

Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a
new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

      (c)   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, will submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question
whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.

                                       4
<PAGE>   6



                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Lanham, State of Maryland, on the 6th day of June,
1998.

                                    GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.

                                    By:                  /s/   
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          Robert S. Bowen
                                          Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



                                       5
<PAGE>   7


                                 POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Robert S. Bowen and/or Ronald F. Friedman true
and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him, and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post effective
amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the
Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agents, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to comply with the provisions of the
Securities Act and all requirements of the Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or any of them, or their or his or
her substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the date indicated:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURES                        TITLE                                    DATE
----------                        -----                                    ---- 
<S>                             <C>                                        <C>

        /s/
----------------------          Chairman and Chief Executive               June 6, 1998
Robert S. Bowen                 Officer

        /s/
----------------------          President, Chief Operating                 June 6, 1998
Ronald F. Friedman              Officer and Director


        /s/                     Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,   June 6, 1998     
----------------------          Treasurer and Director                                       
Mark D. Funston                                                          

        /s/
----------------------          Director                                   June 6, 1998
Thomas S. Buchsbaum

        /s/
----------------------          Director                                   June 6, 1998
Charles A. Mele

           
----------------------          Director                                   June __, 1998
Joseph R. Sullivan
</TABLE>

                                       6
<PAGE>   8



                                   EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                     Page
                                                                                     ----
<S>                                                                                 <C>
Exhibit
-------

4.   Instruments defining the rights of securityholders:

      (a)   1995 Incentive Stock Option, Non-qualified Stock Option and Stock
            Appreciation Rights Plan and exhibits.................................    9

      (b)   1995 Non-Employee Directors' Stock Option Plan
            and exhibits..........................................................   20  

5.    Opinion of Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn re: validity of securities
      registered..................................................................   21

23.   Consents of experts and counsel:

      (a)   Consent of Coopers & Lybrand (certified public accountants)...........   22

      (b)   Consent of Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn (counsel): included
            in Exhibit 5..........................................................   21

24.  Power of Attorney: included on signature page.

</TABLE>


                                       7
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "GROUP 1 SOFTWARE INC", "cik": "0000806435", "assigned-sic": "7372", "irs-number": "521483562", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0331"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-59419", "film-number": "98668492"}, "business-address": {"street1": "4200 PARLIAMENT PLACE SUITE 600", "city": "LANHAM", "state": "MD", "zip": "20706-1844", "phone": "3017312300"}, "mail-address": {"street2": "4200 PARLIAMENT PLACE SUITE 600", "city": "LANHAM", "state": "MD", "zip": "20706"}}
1
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 1998
                                                      Registration No. 33-______

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
DELAWARE                                                  52-1483562
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)      (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
4200 PARLIAMENT PLACE
                                    SUITE 600
                           LANHAM, MARYLAND 20706-1860
                                  (301)918-0400

          (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES, INCLUDING ZIP CODE)

                           1995 GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.
                      INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION, NON-QUALIFIED
                 STOCK OPTION AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS PLAN
                           1995 GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.
                    NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLANS)

                                 ROBERT S. BOWEN
                             CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                              4200 PARLIAMENT PLACE
                                    SUITE 600
                           LANHAM, MARYLAND 20706-1860
                     (NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

                                 (301) 731-2300
          (TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

                                    COPY TO:
                            ARNOLD R. WESTERMAN, ESQ.
                        ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN
                          1050 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W.
                            WASHINGTON, DC 20036-5339

                                 ---------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
==============================================================================================
                                            PROPOSED       PROPOSED
                                            MAXIMUM        MAXIMUM
                              AMOUNT        OFFERING       AGGREGATE         AMOUNT OF
    TITLE OF SECURITIES       TO BE         PRICE          OFFERING          REGISTRATION
      TO BE REGISTERED        REGISTERED    PER SHARE      PRICE             FEE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMON STOCK, $.01 PAR VALUE  400,000       $14.06(1)      $5,625,000.00(1)  $1,475.00
==============================================================================================
(1)  ESTIMATED SOLELY FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING THE REGISTRATION FEE IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 457(h) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND BASED ON THE
AVERAGE OF THE HIGH AND LOW PRICES OF THE COMMON STOCK AS REPORTED ON THE NASDAQ
NATIONAL STOCK MARKET ON JULY 14, 1998.
2

                                    PART I

            INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

ITEM 1.     PLAN INFORMATION*

ITEM 2.     REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION*

*           Information about the Registrant required by Part I to be
            contained in a Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from the
            Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the
            Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and
            the Note to Part I of Form S-8.

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.     INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

      The following documents previously filed by the Registrant with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement:

      1.    The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
            ended March 31, 1998.

      2.    All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
            Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") since the
            end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 1998.

      3.    The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
            Registration Statement on Form 8-A (No. 0-15389), filed on
            February 13, 1987 with the Commission pursuant to Section 12 of
            the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
            Act"), including any subsequent amendment or report filed for the
            purpose of updating such description.

      In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Registrant
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall
be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration
Statement to the extent that a statement herein or in any other subsequently
filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified
or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded to
constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.     DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

      Not Applicable.

                                       1
3

ITEM 5.     INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

      Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.     INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

      Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended,
provides that a corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened,
pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving
at its request in such capacity in another corporation or business
association, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines
and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in
connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and
in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

      Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended,
permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a
director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation
or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of
loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions
not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper
personal benefit.

      Article TWELFTH of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended, provides for the elimination of personal liability of a director for
breach of fiduciary duty as permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware
General Corporation Law, and also provides that the Registrant may indemnify
its directors and officers to the full extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.

      Article VI of the Registrant's By-Laws, as amended, provides that the
Registrant shall indemnify directors and officers to the fullest extent
permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

      The Registrant has in effect a directors and officers liability
insurance policy under which the directors and officers of the Registrant are
insured against loss arising from claims made against them due to wrongful
acts while acting in their individual and collective capacities as directors
and officers, subject to certain exclusions.

                                       2
4

ITEM 7.     EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

      Not applicable.

ITEM 8.     EXHIBITS

      See Exhibit Index on page 7.

ITEM 9.     UNDERTAKINGS

      (a)   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

            (1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
      being made of the securities registered hereby, a post-effective
      amendment to this Registrant Statement:

                      (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
           of the Securities Act;

                      (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
           arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or
           the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
           or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
           information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding
           the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities
           offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not
           exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or
           high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in
           the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
           424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price
           represent no more than a twenty percent (20%) change in the maximum
           aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
           Registration Fee" table in the effective Registration Statement; and

                      (iii) To include any material information with respect to
           the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this
           Registration Statement or any material change to such information in
           this Registration Statement;

provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs (1)(i) and
(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a
post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports
filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement.

            (2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
      the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
      to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
      therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
      deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

            (3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
      amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
      the termination of the offering.

      (b) The Registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the

                                       3
5

Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a
new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

      (c)   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, will submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question
whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.

                                       4
6

                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Lanham, State of Maryland, on the 6th day of June,
1998.

                                    GROUP 1 SOFTWARE, INC.

                                    By:                  /s/   
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          Robert S. Bowen
                                          Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

                                       5
7

                                 POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Robert S. Bowen and/or Ronald F. Friedman true
and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him, and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post effective
amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the
Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agents, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to comply with the provisions of the
Securities Act and all requirements of the Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or any of them, or their or his or
her substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the date indicated:
SIGNATURES                        TITLE                                    DATE
----------                        -----                                    ----
/s/
----------------------          Chairman and Chief Executive               June 6, 1998
Robert S. Bowen                 Officer

        /s/
----------------------          President, Chief Operating                 June 6, 1998
Ronald F. Friedman              Officer and Director

        /s/                     Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,   June 6, 1998     
----------------------          Treasurer and Director                                       
Mark D. Funston                                                          

        /s/
----------------------          Director                                   June 6, 1998
Thomas S. Buchsbaum

        /s/
----------------------          Director                                   June 6, 1998
Charles A. Mele

           
----------------------          Director                                   June __, 1998
Joseph R. Sullivan
6
8

                                   EXHIBIT INDEX
Page
                                                                                     ----
Exhibit
-------

4.   Instruments defining the rights of securityholders:

      (a)   1995 Incentive Stock Option, Non-qualified Stock Option and Stock
            Appreciation Rights Plan and exhibits.................................    9

      (b)   1995 Non-Employee Directors' Stock Option Plan
            and exhibits..........................................................   20  

5.    Opinion of Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn re: validity of securities
      registered..................................................................   21

23.   Consents of experts and counsel:

      (a)   Consent of Coopers & Lybrand (certified public accountants)...........   22

      (b)   Consent of Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn (counsel): included
            in Exhibit 5..........................................................   21

24.  Power of Attorney: included on signature page.
7