Why An Accurate Census Is Critical For Aggieland

The Bryan-College Station community stands to lose big if students aren’t counted in the ongoing U.S. Census.

The data is used to determine how millions of dollars a year are allocated in Brazos County for Texas A&M University, Bryan and College Station schools, transportation, hospitals, public health and more. An accurate count is relied upon by researchers and policymakers making critical decisions about disaster planning, public health analysis, planning for roads, water, sewer and electric lines, allocating government funds, and much more.

Regional officials are urging Texas A&M and Blinn College students to use the address where they would live under normal circumstances when school is in session, as opposed to where they’re living because of the pandemic. The census is mandatory, and it’s easy to complete online.

A few highlights to remember:

• For any college student who lives off-campus in either College Station or Bryan, it is critical that you are counted — and that you are counted here.
• The census requires that students be counted at their “usual residence,” or where you lived and slept “most of the time” on April 1.
• If you’re a student who lived off campus, either with or without roommates, you should be counted as if you were still living there on April 1, even if you returned to your hometown at the urging of university officials.
• Just like students who live in dorms, those who live off campus should not be included on their parents’ or guardians’ census form.
• If you left your College Station or Bryan address before receiving your census packet in the mail, that’s OK. You can still quickly fill out your census form even if you don’t have the Census ID number that was mailed to you.
• If you’re a student who lived with others off-campus, then you should coordinate with your roommates to ensure that only one questionnaire is completed for your household. Whoever completes the census questionnaire for the household should list all roommates, including non-students, who lived and slept at that address most of the time.

Go to the U.S. Census website, get counted, and know that you’re doing a great service to College Station, Bryan and the Aggies who will call this place home.

Source: Jay Socol, communications director for the city of College Station