Coronavirus Doesn’t Change Where College Students Get Counted in Census 2020

Everyone’s lives have been upended due to the novel coronavirus.

You may be reading this from your home “office” (dining table, kitchen counter, your child’s fort…). You and others in your community also may have college students staying with you since classes have moved online.

The coronavirus has also affected census operations, but one thing hasn’t changed—college students should be counted where they would have been residing on April 1. 

Why? These communities will be supporting students next spring, and the 2020 Census results will impact funding for college programs and community planning. In other words—in order for these communities to get the funding they’re entitled to, they need students to be counted there. Census data also informs funding for services that affect students like school safety and Pell Grants.

Here’s a video you can share with your community to ensure students know where they should be counted.

Here’s information directly from the Census Bureau:

The College students should be counted where they usually live, even if they are temporarily staying elsewhere while their school is closed because of COVID-19.

College students are counted where they usually live.

• If you live in student housing, the Census Bureau will work with the college to ensure you are counted in the 2020 Census.

• If you live in off campus that is not specifically for college or university students, such as a rental house or apartment that may be shared with roommates, you should respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail.

As we navigate these unprecedented times, CTData will continue to provide updates to help clarify confusion and circulate accurate information. If you’d like to receive weekly updates and resources about Census 2020, sign up for our census newsletter using the form at the beginning of this blog post or click here.