The American Association of Community Colleges has joined a higher education community letter urging the Census Bureau to withdraw a proposed rule that would change residence criteria for the 2030 Census and restrict the collection of demographic information.
The associations, led by the American Council on Education, warn that the changes could undermine census accuracy, distort population counts used to allocate federal funding, and limit research and institutional planning.
The letter raises two primary concerns:
- First, the proposal would exclude undocumented individuals and other noncitizens from the apportionment count, which could lead to undercounts in college communities and service areas.
- Second, the proposal would prohibit questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation on census enumeration questionnaires.
The associations argue that restricting demographic data collection would undermine research and limit the ability to understand population trends over time.
The letter emphasizes that colleges rely on census data to anticipate population changes, assess workforce needs and plan programming. The associations urge the Census Bureau to withdraw the proposal or substantially revise it in consultation with stakeholders and provide a longer, more meaningful public comment period.
