Despite virtual classes, Centre County is counting on Penn State students for the census
With federal funding on the line for the 2020 census, Penn State students are encouraged to mark Centre County as their place of residence, no matter where they fill out the form while in-person classes are suspended.
The census, which began April 1, determines how much municipalities and states receive in federal funding and grants, as well as how congressional districts are drawn. The census also measures population demographics like age, sex, race, migration, housing conditions, veteran status, language and poverty.
Pennsylvania communities get about $2,000 per counted person each year.
“The fact that students do live here for the majority of their time is reason to fill out the census as a resident of wherever they reside during their semesters at school,” Charima Young, Penn State director of local government and community relations, said. “For many at University Park, that would be as a resident of State College borough, Patton, Ferguson or College townships.”
When colleges moved to virtual learning due to the coronavirus, the U.S. Census Bureau reminded students and community members to count themselves based on where they spend the most time. With an average 40,000 undergraduate students, Penn State contributes significantly to Centre County’s population, and students not being counted could result in a significant funding loss.
“The guidance all colleges and universities have received from the Census Bureau is that students should be counted where they would have been living on April 1, which is their college or university,” Young said.
Students who live on campus — including on-campus apartments — owned by the university do not need to fill out the census form, Young said, adding that Penn State will submit information for those students. Students living off campus should fill out the census online, by phone or mail.
In a letter, Penn State student leaders encouraged their peers to participate in the count, saying that their participation will result in stronger nutrition assistance, mental health services, transportation, student wellness programs and education.
Centre County’s self-response rate to the census is 44.4%, and Pennsylvania’s rate is 46%, according to the Census Bureau.
In an attempt to count every resident in this year’s census, the Centre County, State College, Penn State and Bellefonte Complete Count committees are encouraging all households and individuals to respond, especially since this is the first year responses can be recorded online.
“It’s not as if you missed it,” County Commissioner Michael Pipe said during Tuesday’s board meeting. “There’s still plenty of time, so we’re going to be encouraging everybody, not just students, but everybody throughout the whole county to fill out that census. It’s $21,000 over the next decade that you can invest right here in your community if you fill out that census.”
Individuals can also respond to the census via telephone at 800-354-7271 or online at www.2020census.gov. The count will run through July 31.
