Dear Pace Students,
The nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives for the time being and shifted us from our typical routines.
As you know, Census Day was April 1, and despite the current state of our daily lives, there is still time to do our civic duty and participate in the 2020 Census.
Every ten years, the US government makes a count of each and every person living in the country through the census. This is
mandated by the Constitution
for the purpose of determining Congressional representation. While Congressional representation matters a lot, the census also impacts many other things, from higher education to transportation and infrastructure to health care.
Participating in the Census is even more important now because it will directly impact the amount of federal resources that will come to our state and local governments to support our response to COVID-19 and its long-term effects.
Even in normal times, college students as a group, who may live on- or off-campus and who may or may not live with their families, can face some confusion about how to make sure that they’re
properly counted
.
We understand that some students may be wary of how their personal information will be used. The Census Bureau has very strict laws regarding sharing personal information and is prohibited from inter-agency information sharing. We want to assure you that
there are
strong protections
in place to ensure you and your family’s safety while still being counted
:
- The first is that the Census Bureau may only share aggregated data. In fact, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies.
- Adding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) holder to a household’s census response does not give the government any additional information it does not already have due to the persons having applied for DACA.
- The information given to the government by DACA holders is protected under terms of the 2012 policy stipulating that the government may not use the information for immigration enforcement unless the person poses a national security risk.
No matter your status, or the statuses of those in your household, it’s imperative to be counted in the US Census to ensure that you have access to the resources and services available to you.
By now, most residences should have received census forms in the mail, and we’d like to inform you of how Pace students are counted to accurately represent our regional and local population. The census counts people where they live the majority (two-thirds) of the year.
Pace students are counted by the census in the following manner:
- For undergraduate and graduate students who live in Pace housing: you will be counted by Pace through data already in University records.* Pace will transfer these aggregated data to the US Census Bureau. While our current University operating status due to COVID-19 is different, students will still be counted based on what their residence would be during normal University operations. You should not be counted by your parents or guardians.
- For students living in an off-campus apartment, rental, sublease, etc.: you should fill out a census form for your off-campus location. One form should be completed per apartment/housing unit.
- For students who commute from their home (permanent address): You should be counted by your parents or guardians.
The US Census can be completed through the mail, by phone, or
online
. For more resources and answers to questions, please feel free to reach out to us directly.
Thank you for your assistance in this important responsibility we have.
Sincerely,
