<p>The census says not to include your college kids in your home report. So who includes them? The college? How does that work? I can see if they live on campus but how does the campus report kids who live off campus but in their own place versus with family & commuting?</p>
<p>What about kids abroad? Studying abroad through a US school? On their own? Doing an internship? Shouldn’t they be counted if they are only abroad temporarily?</p>
<p>My college son just told me today that a census worker banged on his apartment door Wednesday, handled him the form and explained how he and his roommate should fill it out. He lives in the “student ghetto apartment” next to the campus. He said there are posters all over campus explaining to students what to do but he did not elaborate and I did not ask.</p>
<p>Students in dorms will get their own forms to fill out.</p>
<p>yep, my dorm-living daughter gets her own census form.</p>
<p>Thanks! What about students abroad?</p>
<p>College kids are supposed to be listed on the census form for their college location…that is what it says on the form…do NOT count college students who are residing elsewhere.</p>
<p>You know…over and over the radio and tv spots keep saying how important it is to get an ACCURATE count of who is living where. WELL…my college student will have graduated and MOVED BACK HERE before this census is even completed. She will be listed as a resident of the place where her college is located…she will NEVER be living there again (she is quite positive of this). </p>
<p>I think there are states like mine where MANY students go OOS because the instate college offerings are not all that plentiful in the public domain. Many of DD’s high school classmates will also be moving BACK her in May or June…for good. </p>
<p>So…what does that say for the “accuracy” of where people REALLY are living per this census.</p>
<p>I think it’s silly to have a college student list his college dorm as his address.</p>
<p>I believe it asked for residence as of April 1. So theoretically, that gives a snapshot of where everyone is living in the US on the same date. Perfect? No.</p>
<p>I just don’t understand why ‘they’ came up with “April 1st”. It seems so arbitrary. It also means that anyone who wants to work as a census taker (a perfect college job because it’s temporary and pays really well). But census takers start training by mid-April and work by early May. But, that misses a whole punch of potential workers: teachers and college kids are still in classes April-May. The training is a 4-day commitment.</p>
<p>Anyway, the form is to register all people on one day – April 1st. If your college kid is away at college, don’t record him/her living at your house.</p>
<p>My college student is studying abroad, so I WILL list him on our home form. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t do it if he were at his college campus, because he would be counted there. That would be accurate - on April 1, his campus’s town has 2400 college students living there. And counting him at home would mean he would be counted twice.</p>
<p>BUT… on April 1 he will be in Spain. No one will be mailing a census form or knocking on doors in Spain. But his home is here, and he will be home 6 weeks later - he’s just away for 4 months. He’s still a citizen and a resident of this town and this state, and since he won’t be counted at his campus or anywhere else I believe the most accurate thing is to count him here.</p>
<p>I tried to look up the whether Study Abroad students should be listed at their home address or not, but it wasn’t listed on the Census bureau website. So I used my best judgement.</p>
<p>edit: I know the Constitution requires a census every 10 years, but I don’t remember if it specifies April 1. Regardless, picking a single day to count people, regardless of where they are that day, seems the most accurate way to do it. April 1 is as good as any other day, I suppose!</p>
<p>Here’s a link that answers all your questions about college students - on campus, off-campus, and studying abroad. Basically, where ever you are residing - however temporarily - on April 1 is where you are counted. If you are living abroad, you’re not counted.</p>
<p><a href=“http://2010.census.gov/campus/pdf/FAQ_CensusOnCampus.pdf[/url]”>http://2010.census.gov/campus/pdf/FAQ_CensusOnCampus.pdf</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>S is studying abroad for a semester. I was going to count him at our home address, but according to the Census bureau I should not do that. He is not residing in the US on April 1, so he doesn’t get counted. It doesn’t want to know where your primary residence is, it just wants to know where you are <em>on April 1.</em></p>
<p>Another reason I hope my college student doesn’t get the census worker job he applied for. He would have to start the job in his college town (using public transportation as he doesn’t have a car there), then get them to transfer him to his home city where he will live for the summer. Luckily he has a lead on another job today that looks very promising and it would guarantee 40 hours per week at a good wage. <em>fingers crossed</em></p>
<p>Hmmm, I don’t like that it doesn’t want to count my kid who lives in the US but might be abroad temporarily, that just doesn’t seem right for something used to realign congressional districts and add congressmen to states etc.</p>
<p>Oops, I thought I deleted post #10. It makes no sense in the light of Post #11. Sorry. :(</p>
<p>Somemom, look at it this way, it’s just a snapshot or moment in time. If your offspring were at a particular college this year over the years other “bodies” would simply replace your S or D’s body. If on foreign study, then someone else will be on foreign study. College kids are probably not going to impact congressional districting all that much I don’t imagine; it will be other factors more likely like deteriorating areas of Detroit, or rural areas that have transitioned over the decade…not so much college “towns.” I can’t remember how they did the last census with college kids since my kids were little and living at home then.</p>
<p>The problem I have with the census not counting college kids abroad or counting them in their college towns … gov’t agencies use the census info to apportion $$ and how many seats in congress you get. My kid votes at home, not at school . And she shouldn’t “count” because she is in study abroad on April 1? grrr</p>
<p>Yes, but if they’re on campus they’re living in a town that’s being represented by that region’s congressman. They’re getting the benefits of roads, etc, in that town based on the fact that x-thousand college kids are among the population and need services.</p>
<p>I kind of wish I could count my study-abroad son, but would that mean we’d have to count all ex-pat US citizens? Even those living abroad for several years? And international students studying in the US so get counted. Again, it’s a snapshot. On any given day, several thousand US students are living abroad, and several thousand international students are living here. If we counted all the kids who are out of the country AND all the internationals living here, we’d have an inflated number of who is ACTUALLY HERE.</p>
<p>My son will submit his census form out on campus. I jokingly told my coworker, I filled out the whole form with 12 people living with me.</p>