Lake Michigan College is planning to hold a special Census Day next month as it campaigns to educate students on the importance of filling out their U.S. Census forms. LMC political science instructor Tiffany Bohm tells WSJM News the census even has a direct impact on the college.
“Lake Michigan College is a recipient of federal Pell Grants,” Bohm said. “Last year, the college received $4.2 million in grants for education at the college that students don’t have to pay back, and it’s based on the population.”
The Berrien Community Foundation has led the charge on promoting the census locally, and LMC has joined up with them. Bohm says students have been receptive to the message.
“This is the first time an 18-year-old has really been made aware of the impact.”
Bohm told us how the mostly online census will work this year.
“Between the dates of March 12 and March 20, individuals will receive a postcard. The heads of households or any mailing address where there’s an owner. They’ll receive a postcard. Then they will have a code on it where they can log in online and put in the code, and fill out the census. It should take less than ten minutes.”
The census numbers affect how a variety of funding is allocated by the federal government, and there are concerns in Berrien County that if not enough people respond this year, millions in funding will be lost. Bohm says LMC will partner with the League of Women Voters for a census forum on March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Berrien RESA. Then the college’s Census Day will be on April 1 with a party in the Hawk’s Nest on campus. LMC has also held a poster contest among students to get the census message out.
