Gabriela Torres

While only 9% of special education is federally funded and informed by the census, this margin is still critical to fill opportunity gaps for low-income students.

Tara Stadel says attending community college was "possible" only with help from a Pell Grant. She is one of millions of students who have gained access to higher education thanks to the federally-funded, census-informed Pell Grant program.

The National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, run by the USDA and funded based on census data, help feed millions of students free or reduced-price meals each year.