‘Students count!’ U.S. 2020 Census invitations en route

Students and members of UND community to receive mailed invitations from March 12 through 20

Students count! All students – and members of the UND community – will receive an invitation to respond to the U.S. 2020 Census. Whether you’re in student housing or living off campus, you count as a Grand Forks resident. What matters is where you live most of the year, not your hometown.

Here’s how the Census Bureau’s website puts it:

“When responding to the 2020 Census, college students should be counted where they live and sleep most of the time as of April 1, 2020.

“For most students, that means in their college town, not back home with their parents.”

Your invitation will arrive between March 12 and 20 in your mailbox, residence hall, or apartment complex.

The Census is important. In the last Census, the City of Grand Forks received $1,910 in federal funds for every resident. That money is used to fix roads, aid schools, hospitals, and other programs that benefit UND and the Greater Grand Forks community.

The Census has been conducted since 1790, and is conducted every 10 years. The results are used to determine distribution of federal funds, grants, and distribution of seats in the Congressional House of Representatives. This year, for the first time, you can respond online as well as by phone or mail.

Who gains from participating in the Census? Everyone! If you drive on public roads, have children attending school, or use public services or infrastructure, you have a stake in the outcome of this census.

Stand up and be counted!