North Dakota is proud to be a home-away-from-home for thousands of students every year. The U.S. Census is now open, and if you spend six months or more of the year in North Dakota, you need to be counted here.

The Census is important to everyone in the U.S.A. It helps the government determine how education, housing and social services should be funded in the city you live in. Over a 10-year span, one missed resident equals more than $19,000 in lost government funding.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Students living in a residence hall on campus

If you were living in a residence hall on the NDSU campus as of March 1, your census information will be reported by NDSU to the federal census officials. You do not need to personally respond.

• Students living in apartments or off-campus

If you live in an apartment or off-campus housing, make sure you and your roommates submit only one response that includes everyone who lives there. You can respond to the census online, by phone, or by mail.

• All Students should coordinate with their parents to let them know you are counting yourself here in Fargo, based on your status as an NDSU student.

The Census is be available in multiple languages and includes 10 easy questions, such as name, relationship to householder, phone number, number of persons in household, age, sex and race.

Information collected by the Census is used only by the U.S. Census Bureau to get an accurate count of everyone in the United States. Your personal information is not shared with other government agencies, and it cannot get you in trouble in any way.

Fill out the 2020 Census today at my2020Census.gov.