Gateway Community & Technical College Partners with U.S. Census Bureau to Achieve Accurate 2010 Census

Gateway Community & Technical College is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to achieve a complete and accurate count of the U.S. population in 2010. The partnership is part of a larger effort by the Census Bureau to increase participation in the 2010 Census.

As a higher education institution dedicated to helping our students shape the future, Gateway is committed to ensuring each student understands the importance of participating in the 2010 Census, said G. Edward Hughes, Gateway president/CEO. I am enthusiastic about our partnership with the Census Bureau on this important initiative and committed to helping increase overall participation in 2010.

The partnership will involve sharing information about the census on Gateway campuses and encouraging students to complete and return their 2010 Census forms.

Every year, the U.S. government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. Leaders use the data to guide decisions on where to build new schools, roads, hospitals, child-care and senior centers and more. Data also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and affect college and university grant and loan programs.

Census forms will be delivered or mailed to Gateway students and all U.S. residents in March 2010. Census workers will visit households of people who do not return forms.

Information shared with the Census Bureau is completely confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities. All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

For more information about the 2010 Census, visit 2010census.gov.