State College is gearing up for the 2010 Census-a federally mandated count of every person who lives in the United States

.  

Community members are urged to fill out the 2010 form, which will arrive in mailboxes in mid-March and must be post stamped by April 1, 2010.  The 2010 Census form has been dubbed the “shortest Census form in history,” featuring 10 confidential questions that can be easily answered in no more than 10 minutes.

It is extremely important for all State College community members to fill out their 2010 Census forms because it brings federal funding back into the community. Approximately $1,400 per person, per year over the next 10 years will be allocated for each head that is counted. These funds will go toward road construction and rehabilitation, public transportation, Title I grants for educational agencies, Child Care & Development Block Grants (CDBG), food grants (WIC, Senior Citizens) and other community services and programs. The Census data will also identify where jobs and assistance programs need to be created and will supply corporations with population data for market research on commercial properties. Visit http://www.census.gov/ for more information.

The data collected by the Census also determines the number of seats our state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. People from many walks of life use Census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, and locate pools of skilled workers and more. 
Penn State students with questions about where they should fill out their Census form (i.e. at their State College address or back at mom and dad’s house) are reminded that they must be counted in the location where they live during the school year. Thus, Penn State students should fill out the census form they receive in the mail here