Dallas-based Southwest Airlines reinstates free-travel program for Hispanic college students

by PegNews wire

Southwest Airlines, in conjunction with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), announced the opening of "Dandole Alas a Tu Exito/Giving Flight to Your Success," its annual education travel award program.

Online applications will be accepted through June 5. A panel of judges comprised of college professors and education advocates from coast to coast will gather in the summer to select the students who will receive free travel to their colleges and universities.

Each student is eligible to receive from one to four tickets which the student or an immediate family member can use in the Fall to travel to/from a college or university. The travel tickets are awarded to undergraduate and graduate Hispanic students with socio-economic need who journey away from home to pursue higher education. All of the participants must submit an essay explaining why they deserve the travel award and what inspires them to pursue a college degree.

"For more than twenty years, HACU has dedicated efforts to ensure Hispanic success in higher education," said Antonio Flores, President and CEO of HACU, the only national education organization for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. "HACU is proud to partner with Southwest Airlines, for the fifth year, on the 'Dandole Alas a Tu Exito/Giving Flight to Your Success' travel award program. During these difficult economic times, these travel awards are essential to many students currently enrolled in college."

With more than 1,000 applicants in the last four years, "Lanzate/Take Off" is a successful educational program that serves underprivileged students, providing free travel for them and their families to maximize their potential and create opportunities for growth.

"The 'Lanzate/Take Off' travel award allows a student to go home during Christmas break or allows a parent to see their child at graduation," said Christine Ortega, Southwest Airlines Corporate Community Affairs Manager. "This contact removes barriers and gives each student more confidence to pursue their dreams of higher education without worrying about the family's economic hardships," says Ortega.

HACU, which has its national headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, represents approximately 450 colleges and universities, including Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which collectively serve more than two-thirds of all Hispanic higher education students in the United States and Puerto Rico. HACU's international membership includes leading higher education institutions in Latin America and Europe.

Source: Southwest Airlines