NDSU is encouraging students, faculty and staff to participate in the upcoming U.S. census. Classroom presentations will to provide students with important information related to the 2020 census.
Every 10 years, the census counts all the people who live in the nation, and everyone is required by law to complete census information.
“The census is important to everyone in the U.S.A.,” said Wendy Baumann, administrative assistant in the Student Activities Office, who is taking part in NDSU’s efforts and is a member of the City of Fargo’s Complete Count Committee. “It helps the government determine how education, housing and social services should be funded. Over a 10-year span, one missed resident equals $19,000 lost to a city, so it’s important that we are all counted.”
According to Baumann, the census includes 10 easy questions, such as name, relationship to householder, phone number, number of persons in household, age, sex and race.
College students should be counted where they live and sleep most of the time. For students currently living in a residence hall on NDSU’s campus, their census information will be reported by NDSU to the federal census officials; they do not need to personally respond.
All other students will receive a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau in mid-March asking them to participate in the census by filling out a form online or by phone.
Whether living on or off campus, students are asked to coordinate with their parents to let them know that they will be counted in Fargo, based on their status as an NDSU student.
In May, census workers will begin neighborhood visits to count households that did not use the online or phone reporting option. Residences with more than 10 people, such as a fraternity or sorority house, will receive a visit, even after an online or phone report is completed, because only 10 residents can be claimed on the online form or by phone. Baumann also has a word of caution.
There’s concern about fake census mailings, scam phone calls and fake census enumerators knocking on doors,” she said. “Ask the census visitor to see their census identification and one other form of state-issued identification. Census visitors will not enter your home.
If you have questions about the census, contact Fargo’s planning office at 241-1474 or visit the census website.
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