Colleges and the 2020 Census - Coronavirus Update
Last Updated: March 2020
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is working with Census to share updates on the 2020 Census.
Census has posted an updated document at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/planning-management.html.
Given that many students who usually reside on college campuses may not currently be on campus, Census has 3 updates/reminders:
- Colleges that chose the paper (drop off/pick up) method are urged to move to e-response;
- In most cases, students who would ordinarily be on campus full-time but are living away from home at school should be counted at school, even if they are temporarily elsewhere (such as home) due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- Off-campus students can complete a response through the Internet at my2020census.gov.
The Student Privacy Policy Office or SPPO has provided information on the implications of FERPA under each of the enumeration methods at --https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/sites/default/files/resource_document/file/SPPO-ED-Census%20Bureau%20PPT%20on%202020%20Census%20021420.pdf.
Please contact SPPO at FERPA@ed.gov if you have questions.