SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND THE HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AWARDS ROUND TRIP FLIGHTS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program offers students across the U.S. the opportunity to stay in touch with family while pursuing higher education

DALLAS, Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) celebrate 19 years of the ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program and the 2023 recipients of airline tickets while in school. Southwest Airlines^® and HACU awarded 185 students four round trip tickets to stay connected with their loved ones and community while pursuing higher education.

Drawing upon their expertise in serving Hispanic college students, HACU believes that enhancing access to travel to and from school allows students to maintain connections with their community and pursue their passions. Since 2004, Southwest^® has supported alleviating the financial challenges associated with travel for over 1,500 Hispanic students by championing them to pursue their educational goals.

“Connecting people to what’s important in their lives is at the Heart of what we do, and supporting a student’s academic success can create a lasting impression on their future,” said Laura Nieto, Managing Director Corporate Responsibility at Southwest Airlines. “We hope the gift of travel makes the world just a little bit smaller and community connections stronger as students stay on their path to success.”  

“The students who receive this travel award are pursuing their college degrees hundreds of miles from home, often in an unfamiliar city or state. It can be a stressful time for many of them,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “This partnership with Southwest Airlines that has been in place for nearly two decades helps students stay connected to their families, playing a significant role in their higher education success.

The ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program demonstrates the carrier’s commitment to championing educational attainment for all and furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by actively building a workforce that mirrors the diverse population it serves. 

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

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 121 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 71,000² People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 126 million Customers carried in 2022. That formula for success 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 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a four-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet.  

¹Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021
²Fulltime-equivalent active Employees       
³1973-2019 annual profitability     

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.