Hi Mustangs,
We hope you are doing well during this stressful time. Know that ASI Student Government is continuing to advocate for your needs, and we want to continue to improve the lives of students through our work. One easy way that we can help in this effort is by ensuring all students are counted in the 2020 census.
The census is a headcount of every person living in the United States and U.S. territories and happens once every 10 years. Census data impacts how billions of dollars in federal funding will be distributed over the next 10 years to areas such as school safety, the Federal Pell Grant Program, mental health services, and student wellness programs, to name a few. It also dictates congressional representation. Lastly, the census is secure. Not only does every Census Bureau employee take an oath to protect your personal information for life, but your answers legally cannot be used against you and cannot be shared with any other government or law enforcement agency.
The census will ask where you are living on April 1, 2020. Amid COVID-19, we are aware that many in our Mustang community have traveled home to be with their families. Regardless if you have remained in San Luis Obispo or are back home for the spring quarter, the Census Bureau has confirmed that you should be counted at your San Luis Obispo address where you spent most of the year.
Off-Campus Students
Off-campus students should follow the directions below to complete the form using your local San Luis Obispo address regardless if you are currently in San Luis Obispo or not.
Invitations to respond have been mailed out by the Census Bureau with a 12-digit census ID. The census can be filled out online, over the phone, or by paper questionnaire. If you have already relocated from San Luis Obispo without receiving your census ID in the mail, you can still be counted by going online and selecting “If you do not have a census ID, click here.” The online census questionnaire can be filled out by visiting my2020census.gov.
On-Campus Students
For students who resided in on-campus housing or are still living on campus, a representative from the university will work with the Census Bureau to ensure you are counted. Students should have received communications regarding this and should contact University Housing for questions.
Given the exceptional circumstances this year, we are relying on you to complete the census to ensure that San Luis Obispo’s population is accurately reflected. For more information on the census, please visit my2020census.gov.
In community,
ASI Student Government