University of California campuses have planned a number of strategies to raise awareness of the 2010 census and maximize the response rate of students: sending targeted e-mails to students living on and off campus, distributing fliers and fact sheets, giving presentations to residence halls, Greek chapters and co-ops, running articles in student newspapers and holding drawings for up to $5,000 in prizes donated by local vendors.

With billions of dollars in federal funds at stake, not to mention the size of California's legislative delegation, state and local governments want to ensure every resident of the state — even college students — be counted.

Census data are used to locate hospitals, roads and community service centers, and the federal government allocates more than $400 billion a year to state and local governments based on the count. The Census Bureau estimates that each person counted is worth $10,000 to his or her community.

While the census is mandated by the Constitution, only 45 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 consider it very important, according to the Pew Research Center for People and the Press, compared with 60 percent of the population at large.

Students who live in on-campus residence halls, sororities and fraternities will receive individual census forms from their campus housing office between April 1 and May 21. Those who live off campus with roommates will receive the forms by mail in mid-March and should fill out one form for the entire household. Students who live at home should be included on their parents' form.

"Students should know that $3.6 billion of education funding — including money for Cal Grants — is distributed according to census data," says Judy Sakaki, UC vice president of student affairs and a member of California Complete Count Committee, the official entity that is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau for Census 2010.

Students can also thank the census for all that statistical data they use in their research papers. And if that's not enough to get them to participate, their future jobs may depend on the decennial count. According to the Census Bureau, the results influence employers' recruitment efforts by helping them understand where the next generation of workers is coming from.