Southwest Airlines Awards 185 Students with Air Travel Through ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program

In partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the airline celebrates 20 years of connecting students to their families through travel

DALLAS, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) are partnering for the 20^th year to provide tickets to students through the ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program. This year's recipients were selected from more than 90 institutions across the United States to receive four round trip tickets valid for travel between any Southwest Airlines^® domestic destination. Since the award program began in 2004, Southwest^® has supported students nationwide in studying away from home.  

"Twenty years ago, Southwest Airlines identified an opportunity to support students' ability to maintain family ties while studying far away from home," said Laura Nieto, Managing Director Corporate Responsibility at Southwest Airlines. "Through scholarships, educational awards, STEM-focused learning, and meaningful careers, Southwest is committed to encouraging students as their dreams take flight."

Southwest is proud of the program and the achievements of its students, including graduations, fruitful careers, and graduate degrees, all while balancing family responsibilities from afar. 

"Because of your organization's work, I'll see my family in a week," said Isabella, 2024 ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award recipient. "I'm so excited to see my little cousins (and how much they've grown), my grandparents (hopefully I can convince my grandma to make mole), and of course my mom (in-person this time). Without this award, I would have to wait until Christmas to see my family."

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities represents more than 500 colleges and universities and offers numerous programs, including internships, scholarships, and professional leadership development opportunities. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

About HACU
 The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association's headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with offices in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, California, and Chicago, Illinois.

About Southwest Airlines Co.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 117 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline¹. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 74,000² People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 137 million Customers carried in 2023. That formula for success has brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years³ of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050⁴. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a three-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet.   

  ¹ Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021 
  ² Fulltime-equivalent active Employees 
  ³ 1973-2019 annual profitability 
  ⁴ Southwest's net zero by 2050 goal includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Category 3 emissions only and excludes any emissions associated with non-fuel products and services, such as inflight service items.   

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.