College students should mark on Census 2020 forms where they would have been living had school not shut down.
College students should mark on Census 2020 forms where they would have been living had school not shut down.
This Census Bureau guideline helps get an accurate student count, which is critical not only for the next decade of federal funding for Berkeley but also to help the City plan for the infrastructure needed to support our students.
Census results are used for disaster planning and emergency response, public health analysis, and other policy and program decisions. Each person counted results in an estimated average of $1,000 per year to their community. The online Census 2020 form is quick and easy for anyone to fill out.
Dorms and residence halls
Students who would have been living in college dorms or other university housing will be counted through their university. If you lived in university housing and any action is needed from you, you will receive instructions through your school.
Non-university housing
Students who would have been living in non-university housing need to respond to the Census themselves. Count everyone living in your home on your response, including roommates.
If you’ve moved due to COVID-19
You should be counted on the Census where you lived before school closed. If you moved from off campus housing, you should still list roommates who had been living with you on your response.
If you're not sure whether your former roommates have already responded to the Census, you should still respond and list everyone in the household. It is better to be accidentally counted twice than to not be counted at all. The Census Bureau has ways to identify and remove duplicate responses.
Your parents should not count you on their response unless you lived at home prior to the pandemic. If your parents already included you in their response even though you did not previously live with them, simply fill out a new response online - the Census will correct the duplication.
Respond online, by phone, or by mail
You can complete the 2020 Census entirely online. Visit my2020census.gov to respond. It will take about 10 minutes.
You can also respond by phone at 844-330-2020 or by mail, using the form sent to your Berkeley address.
The Census questionnaire
The Census questionnaires asks for basic information about your household:
- How many people live there
- Whether you own or rent
- A phone number to follow up
For each person listed on your response, it will ask you to provide their name, sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The Census is confidential and will not ask about citizenship status.
