UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is reminding students — particularly students living off campus — how important it is to be counted in the U.S. Census, even in this period of remote learning, which will change for some in the fall.
Students should respond to the Census using the address they did live or should have lived at on April 1, 2020, regardless of where they were actually living due to COVID-19 restrictions. This response is per Census guidelines, which indicate that college students should be counted where they reside or would have resided for the majority of their time.
Penn State has provided the Census with directory information about local student addresses on April 1, 2020. Students can respond online or by phone to verify this information and to input other details.
The U.S. Census is a count of every individual living in the United States as of April 1, and is taken once every 10 years. An accurate census count is important for political and economic reasons.
Students’ responses to the Census make a difference: Responding to the Census ensures that federal funding is properly allocated to local communities for the next 10 years, which in turn impacts the student experience on a college campus. By completing the Census in the place where students live most of the year, they are positively impacting funding for important community resources, including education, health care, transportation and other vital resources.