Georgetown University’s response rate to the 2010 U.S. Census currently stands at over 70 percent, according to Director of Media Relations Andy Pino.

This is nearly the same rate as the national average: According to an April 20 census press release, over 71 percent of the nation’s households had responded. Additionally, 18 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had either met or exceeded their 2000 census response rates by April 20. The overall participation rate for the District is 68 percent as of Thursday, according to the Census Bureau.

“Like other universities in the area, we are working with the census to make sure everyone who lives on our campus is counted,” Pino said.

The forms have been described as the least time-consuming in the survey’s history. On May 1, census employees will begin going door to door to collect information from households that have not yet returned their forms.

The university plans to begin seeking out students who have not yet submitted their forms.

Other local universities are stepping up efforts to increase participation. The George Washington University announced that it would provide federal enumerators with students’ information, according to The Hatchet, the university’s student paper.

The 2010 census, required by the U.S. Constitution to be conducted every 10 years, seeks to count every resident in the United States and will be used to determine the distribution of $400 billion of federal spending, and to distribute seats in the House of Representatives.