When, Where, How?
Census questionnaires will be delivered to the ISU campus residences in March 2010. Census takers will be on campus to help assist with the counting. Between April and July 2010, Census takers are expected to visit individuals that did not return the census form by mail.
What’s on the Census Form?
Asking just 10 questions of all residents (one of the shortest census questionnaires in U.S. history), the 2010 Census form will take most households about 10 minutes to complete. These questions were submitted to Congress for approval in March 2007.
Why does the Census matter to ISU?
- The 10-year Census count provides critical context to all colleges about their campuses and the size and nature of the larger communities in which they are located.
- Forecasts of potential enrollment will be benchmarked by the 2010 Census.
- Institutions of higher education use Census-derived demographic information when applying for federal and private-sector grants.
Why does the Census matter beyond ISU?
Census data directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure your community gets its fair share of federal and state funding. Following Census 2000, $388 million in federal grants shifted to states with the biggest estimated population increases based on the census.
The decennial census is used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.
Census data are used to inform your community's decisions. It is like a snapshot that helps define who you are as a community. Data about changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.