McGovern, MA Delegation Asks Census Bureau to Allow Colleges and Universities to Report on All Students Using Administrative DataCampus closures due to the coronavirus pandemic may create significant barriers to counting Massachusetts students, leading to a major undercount for Massachusetts in the 2020 Census
Washington,
March 24, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, joined the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in a letter to the U.S. Census Bureau asking them, in the wake of campus closures, to allow colleges and universities to report on all their students using administrative data. The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for social distancing have led at least 24 colleges and universities in Massachusetts to move their classes online and instruct most students to leave campus. This includes the largest universities in the state, including Harvard University, Boston University, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts system. “We are deeply concerned that in the current circumstances, continuing to count students residing in institutions by collecting individual student surveys will result in a drastic undercount for Massachusetts,” wrote the lawmakers. “Because Massachusetts has a high concentration of colleges and universities, under-counting this group would result in the loss of essential funding and services that students rely on while they are living in the Commonwealth.” Earlier this month, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin made a similar request, noting that colleges’ and universities’ administrative records could provide the Census Bureau with accurate information about all students. The Census Bureau currently uses administrative records for students living on campus only. |