2020 Census is Coming Soon

When Does the Census Start?
April 1, 2020 is officially Census Day. Notices and forms will start arriving in the mail in March 2020. For households that don’t respond to the census, nonresponse follow-up begins in April 2020 and wraps up at the end of July 2020. The 2020 Census will be the first time you can take the survey online.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census be taken every 10 years to count all people, both citizens and noncitizens living in the United States. The data collected through the Census helps determine legislative representation, conduct research, craft public policy, and allocate government funds.

How are College Students Counted?
The Census Bureau conducts counts of people where they live and sleep most of the year. Parents should leave students off of their forms, even if they will return to live at home after they leave college. Otherwise, they may be counted twice.

If you live in off-campus housing that is not owned, leased, or managed by your college or university, such as a private house that you share with other students or a privately owned apartment, you can respond online, by phone, or by mail beginning in mid-March 2020. You should count yourself at your off-campus address, even if you spend time somewhere else during school breaks.

If you live in on-campus student housing such as residence halls, off-campus residence halls, or other student housing facilities that are owned, leased, or managed by your college or university, U.S. Census Bureau employees will work with representatives from your building to ensure that you are counted. You may be asked to complete an individual census form.
If you are an international student, the same rules apply.

Where Can I Find a Sample of the Census Questionnaire?
A sample questionnaire can be found on the Census Bureau website.
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/technical-documentation/questionnaires/2020.html

Where can I get more information?
You can visit the Census Information Libguide at:
 http://libguides.usd.edu/census