Letter from the United States Department of Commerce

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau
Local Census Office
2015 North 550 East
Provo, UT 84604

Dear Student,

The 2010 Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution and authorizes the U.S. Census Bureau under the Department of Commerce to enumerate every person living in the United States every 10 years. Participation by responding to the Census questionnaire is mandatory by law but more importantly is the significance and impact of the data collected.

The data from the 2010 Census will be used to determine the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives each state is allocated as well as how much of over $400 billion dollars in federal funds are available to each state annually.Each person will be counted where “each person lives and sleeps most of the time” during the year. Though you may not be a permanent resident of Utah, if you are a full?time student here, you live and sleep in Utah most of the year and need to be counted with the rest of the Utah population. As a student?resident of Utah you enjoy and take advantage of many of the services and programs funded by federal money that comes to the state because of census data. These include healthcare, emergency services, educational research grants, job services, park and recreation programs and many, many more.

Students in colleges and universities are counted in two different ways. If you live in an on?campus dorm, hall, sorority or fraternity that is sponsored or managed by your school, you are counted in the Group Quarters Enumeration. On a prearranged day, through your facility’s administration, census takers will come and hand out questionnaires to each resident. You should complete this Individual Census Report for just yourself and return it to the census worker by the designated date and time.
If you live in off?campus housing, you should have already received the 2010 Census Questionnaire for this living quarter. Complete your portion of the census form and if you don’t live alone, you should complete a section of the questionnaire for each other person that lives with you at this address. Then mail it back using the provided envelope.

To avoid possible duplication, please remind your parents or other individuals you may live with elsewhere the remainder of the year, to not include you in the census form they received.

Additional replacement forms are available or if you have any questions, call 866?872?6868 and a census worker will assist you.

Any information you provide is strictly confidential and protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Constitution which means that no person or agency can access your personal information for 72 years after it is collected. Only the statistical tabulations are released publicly before then.

So, please, “Be Counted!” Be a part of something vitally important to the state and community where you are attending college. It is a meaningful way to participate in our nation and to have your voice heard. Your cooperation and support for the 2010 Census is greatly appreciated.

Regards, 2010 CENSUS: IT’S IN OUR HANDS www.2010census.gov

Matt Mace

Local Census Office Manager