The 2020 Census and College Students

Posted on Mar 24, 2020 in Decennial Census, Main, Whats New Releases

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, many colleges and universities have postponed, moved to online-only classes, or closed down for the semester. This means students are returning home or living with relatives and/or friends temporarily. The 2020 Census needs to count all college students at their usual residence, no matter where they physically are at this time.

College students:  You should respond to the 2020 Census at your usual college address, even if you are temporarily living somewhere else or returned home for the summer. If you live in a dorm or college-owned housing, your college will make sure you are counted through a process called Group Quarters Enumeration.  If you live off-campus, you can respond online at https://2020census.gov/, even if you’ve already left your college address for the semester.

Parents:  You should not count your college-enrolled children in your home unless they live at home during the regular school year. If they have a separate address for the regular school year, they should be counted there instead.

Have questions about who to count in your household?  Call 844-330-2020 for help.

College living situation
Who fills out the form
How students are counted
What students need to do
Dormitory College/university Students are counted by school records Nothing, unless instructed by your school
College-owned Greek housing College/university Students are counted by school records Nothing, unless instructed by your school
Off-campus apartment College student Self-response Respond where you usually live for school
Off-campus house College student Self-response Respond where you usually live for school
Off-campus with roommates College student Self-response Respond where you usually live for school
At home Parents In their parent’s questionnaire Make sure you’re included when your parent fills out the questionnaire