Understanding the Census on Campus
It's time to stand and be counted! On campus, students are going to be experiencing the 2010 U.S. Census this month. As such, they'll likely have some questions about things like who should fill out Census forms, why and where they should fill out their forms (at school or at home?) and more.

Luckily, the federal government is making it fairly easy to get accurate information out to students and those who care about them. Just head to http://2010.census.gov/2010census/ and type "Census on Campus" in the search box to gain access to four short, student-friendly videos that put the Census in understandable terms. Some of the facts include:

• If students aren't living with their parents during the school year, they'll be counted where they live, including on-campus residence halls and off-campus apartments.
  
• Wherever a student lives on April 1, 2010 is where he/she will fill out a census form.
  
• If a student doesn't live with his/her parents, parents should not include their student on their form.
  
• Everyone has to be counted where they are now.
  
• The Census only asks seven simple questions of college students, so the whole form will take less than 10 minutes to complete.
  
• It's illegal for the Census to share information with anyone so all answers are kept confidential.
  
• Students aren't exposing themselves to any dangers by filling out the form.
  
• The Census counts everyone living in the U.S., regardless of citizenship. So, even international student living in the U.S. are counted.

Census figures lead to fund allocation and a better understanding of the U.S. population. So, help your student get ready to be counted!