Local officials are working to inform University students that they will be considered Charlottesville residents for the 2010 census, Albemarle County spokesperson Lee Catlin said.
“We have kicked off an effort with the [City of Charlottesville] and University to encourage participation and ensure that accurate information about the census gets out to the whole community,” she said, noting that, for the purposes of the once per decade survey, students will not be considered residents of their hometowns.
City and County officials are emphasizing the education of students and other residents about the census because every locality in the nation receives federal funds based on the number of its residents, including students — though they may only be in the area for nine months of the year. These federal funds are important for the upkeep of local services, including the roads, police protection and hospital services regularly used by students and other local community members.
“If we’re undercounted because people aren’t willing to get involved, then we lose out on our community’s fair share of federal funding,” Catlin said, noting that many citizens, especially students, may not know about the upcoming census.
“It’s extremely important for U.Va. students to be counted where they reside,” Charlottesville voter registrar Sherri Iachetta said.
Figuring out exactly where students reside — either in the County or the City — is more complicated than it may sound, however, Iachetta said. The Lawn, Iachetta explained, is a part of the County, whereas Newcomb Hall is located in the City. Memorial Gymnasium is on City property, but University Hall is in the County.
So as to ensure that every resident is accounted for, Iachetta said the City will let the Census Bureau know when the best dates are to reach students in their homes. For the 2000 census, federal representatives attempted to contact students during Spring Break, and officials are aiming to avoid a reoccurrence of this problem, she noted.
The actual census itself has also seen changes since 2000, Iachetta said. It is now significantly shorter, asking only 10 questions, whereas the 2000 survey was 10 pages long.
For students concerned about confidentiality or the nature of census data, Iachetta said officials will ask only for numbers from students and residents, rather than pressing for more personal information. All information also is completely confidential, Iachetta noted, adding that it is a felony to disclose the gathered data.
The 2010 census will be administered April 1.
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