As students of UW-Oshkosh and members of the Public Relations Student Society of America we, are making a call on our fellow students to complete and mail back their United States Census. We have found through our research that students on campus held common misperceptions regarding the census.
The census is mandated by law. According to surveys and a focus group we conducted, a high percentage of people do not know that the law requires the United States Census is to be filled out.
A misperception uncovered was that it takes a long time to fill out the census. The census takes on average less than 10 minutes to complete.
Another important misperception we uncovered was that the information you write on your census form may be shared with other government agencies. According to the United States Census Bureau, every person's information is kept completely confidential and is only available to the Census Bureau.
We would also like to point out that while you may live at home part of the year, you still need to fill out the census for the address you live at for the majority of the year. It is crucial that you communicate with your parents and tell them that you will be filling out a census form and they should not include you in theirs.
Is the census form available to fill out online? No. Currently the census is only available in paper format and must be mailed back through the United States Postal Service.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2010 U.S. Census will help distribute more than $400 billion annually in federal funds to things like hospitals, schools, senior centers and public works projects. If you want part of the $400 billion for your community, make sure you complete and mail back your United States Census form.
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