The confusion has enormous implications for college towns, which may face severe shortfalls in federal dollars and a dilution of political power. The Census Bureau sought the help of college administrators in getting rosters for off-campus students who left town, but only half of the schools cooperated. From Tempe to places like Bloomington, Indiana, and Gainesville, Florida, the looming undercount could harm college towns across the country. The Census Bureau says college students should be counted where they would have been on April 1 — at school — if not for the outbreak. “College students overwhelm the demography of places with large universities,” Poston said.

Source: ABC News September 09, 2020 13:18 UTC