Every ten years the U.S. Census Bureau counts the number of people who live in our country and where they reside. Those statistics are used to make critical decisions about where government funding goes and how many congressional representatives each state has. The next census will begin March 2020. That's why Onondaga Community College is beginning a campus-wide push to educate all members of the campus community, especially students, about the census and the importance of being counted.
The 2020 Census will provide people the opportunity to respond online securely, by mail, or by phone. Those who don't respond will be visited by a census taker. Real census employees will never ask for your full social security number, money, donations, or for bank or credit card numbers. If you have questions or suspect fraud you can contact the Census Bureau at 800-923-8282 to speak to a representative.
The U.S. Census Bureau says your responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure, and protected by federal law. Your answers can only be used to produce statistics. By law all responses are kept completely confidential and cannot be used against you.
Information gathered from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the following:
- How $675 billion in federal funding is divided up and returned to state and local communities.
- Funding for student-focused programs determined by the census include Federal Pell Grant, adult education grants, and student wellness programs.
- Number of seats each state has in Congress.
- The number of electoral votes each state gets in the Presidential election.
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting nationwide to fill temporary positions to assist with the process. An on-campus recruiting event will be held this Wednesday, February 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Gordon Student Center hallway. Anyone interested in the process is encouraged to attend!
