HOUSTON — The U.S. Census Bureau released new numbers about Hispanic higher education this month. Reports like this are like one’s annual check-up. In the end, some small lifestyle changes and a good diet will make the future a whole lot brighter.

Out of about 12.7 million college students in 2007, 11.5 percent of those attending full-time were Latino, a leap from 10.3 percent the year before. That means about 1.5 million in 2007, compared to 1.2 million in 2006.

Of the 5.3 million students who attend part-time, Hispanics comprised 713,000, or 13.5 percent. 

As a rough baseline, Hispanics make up 15 percent of the national population.

Out of about 900,000 full-time students, Hispanic women run ahead of Hispanic men, with 55 percent of Hispanic undergraduates and 60 percent of graduate students. 

In an age when the presumption about high Hispanic secondary school dropout rates is virtually cliché, this snapshot is startling. It is part of a possible trend that deserves much more attention.

Back in 2002, Richard Fry of the Pew Hispanic Center authored a report that flew in the face of what many people surmised. He found large numbers of Latinos enrolled in postsecondary education. “In fact,” he said, “by some measures a greater share of Latinos are attending college classes than non-Hispanic whites.”

At first blush that was welcome news.

But just like a check-up, it came with a down side. Many Latinos enroll in community colleges (a tradition that goes back a long time). Many attend part-time.  Others delay or prolong their college education into their mid-20s and beyond. A significant number finish their secondary schooling but after attending some college, extend their education over time, and fail to earn a degree.

This side of the education coin gets little exposure. One would think relatively few incentives are needed to boost Latino education attainment numbers. Yet too often our advocates become boosters for dysfunctional systems when a simple shot in the arm can help these huge numbers complete their courses of study.

That relates to something Barack Obama must have had in mind when he said on Feb. 24, “I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma." 

That means completed, not incomplete, education levels.

Still, the same old interests are out there pushing for failing systems instead of focusing on individuals who started, but just didn’t finish, the marathon.

Much attention needs to go into this segment of the population which has already proven it can compete.  These students didn’t finish because financial need, youthful lack of discernment, or other life distractions that threw them off course. National and local Hispanic advocacy groups and officials need to figure out how to innovate re-entry through new public investments to encourage success, not subsidize failure.

Among the incentives to reintroduce young adults (yes, many of whom are already working or starting families) to education ladders should be approaches using the Internet, ipod, e-mail and web conferencing.

The education portion of the historic $787 billion stimulus jolt should bring back those who didn’t finish. They are the proverbial low-hanging fruit.

Public dollars have already been spent as down payments on their education. It’s time to encourage them and the system to finish the job.

The failing portions of an education establishment that shoves students out and blames the learner — well, they shouldn’t get any of the money.

Tell the administration to put that in their transparency website. That’s a healthful diet everybody can live with.

(Reporter Edwin Mora assisted in researching and preparing this column. De la Isla is author of The Rise of Hispanic Political Power (Archer Books, 2003). He writes a weekly commentary for Hispanic Link News Service. E-mail [email protected].)

©2009