Plymouth State Students need not worry about running home to fill out the 2010 census as the census form will be sent to their campus-area residence.
We all know that the 2010 census is approaching in Mar., and there is significant speculation as to how the U.S. Census Bureau plans to reach its goal of a returned form from every resident in the country. According to Plymouth’s census outreach specialist, Leslie Vogt of census.org, filling out the survey is much more a matter of abiding the law than it is a choice, as the Bureau would convey. What it really comes down to is choosing whether it is worth your time – and with only 10 questions, the 2010 census is the shortest it has ever been; a change that should make its completion less of a hassle.
But the fact remains that a huge number of people still won’t complete it, especially college students. Students typically assume that their parents take care of it – but the truth is parents can’t fill it out for those students who aren’t living at home; unless you are a commuter than you’ll have to fill the census out on your own. According to Dean of Students Timothy Keefe, “All students are counted here in Plymouth where they attend college, not at home. The forms will be coming to all dwelling units on and off campus.” For students living in dorms, apartments or houses, you will have to fill out the census at the residence where you “mostly” live. Here are some fun facts about how the census is distributed and how to fill it out as a college student living away from home:
• A student’s census residence is where they live and sleep most of the time as of Apr. 1, 2010, not their parents’ home.
• Students who are graduating and planning to leave the city, state or country where they go to school should still fill out the census form sent to their campus-area residence.
• Students who are not U.S. citizens should complete and mail back the census forms they receive while at school.
• Everyone in a student’s household should be listed on the census forms as long as they have no other usual place of residence.
• It doesn’t matter who is listed as “head of household;” what matters is that everyone is counted, just once.
• Census information is confidential and never shared with other government agencies, or with parents, who may not know about student living arrangements or roommates.
• Parents of college students who live away from home during the academic year should not list students as household members on parental census forms. Information provided by Dean of Students Timothy Keefe and Census Outreach Specialist Leslie Vogt. Where can students go to get more information regarding the census? Census on Campus: Who Fills Out the Census? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jbE8qa6Gb8&feature=channel Census on Campus: Easy & Safe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUtVq7ioNUg Census on Campus: Why Do I Fill Out the Census? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XofCjaDAbc Census on Campus: Where Do I Fill Out the Census? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrwNipwbPk4 www.facebook.com/USCensus.Boston