Census has financial implications for university community

UCCS working to promote participation in national 10-year survey

By the end of today, questionnaires for the 2010 census are expected to have been delivered to households throughout the United States. Members of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs community are working to make sure that forms from their corner of the world get returned by the close of the mail campaign in April.

"Here at UCCS, we are partners with the census effort and are acting as a trusted voice in the community," said Robyn Marschke, director of the Office of Institutional Research. "A regional committee, Pikes Peak Area Complete Count Committee, estimates that each completed form translates into an $880 fiscal impact per person per year. For El Paso County, it means $5.6 billion over 10 years."

 During the 2000 census, 72 percent of occupied households returned their forms. The Census Bureau is aiming to boost that percentage this year by emphasizing that the form is one of the shortest in history: It contains only 10 questions, and should take only 10 minutes to complete.

An interactive online map will indicate the current percentage of participation by geographic area (it currently shows rates for 2000).

Census information is used to reapportion seats in Congress and ensure proper district representation in state and local governments. Data helps determine locations for child-care and senior centers, new roads, hospitals, schools and community centers.