Southwest Airlines has awarded 185 students across the United States with four round trip tickets through its ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program.
Working together with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the program is now in its 20th year and helps students connect with their families through travel.
Since the award program began in 2004, the airline has helped enable the possibility of studying far away from home for more than 1,500 students.
Many students have successfully graduated and pursued careers or graduate degrees while balancing family responsibilities from afar, such as translating for parents or supporting younger siblings.
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.
“Twenty years ago, Southwest Airlines identified an opportunity to support students’ ability to maintain family ties while studying far away from home,” Laura Nieto, Managing Director Corporate Responsibility at Southwest Airlines said in a statement.
“Through scholarships, educational awards, STEM-focused learning, and meaningful careers, Southwest is committed to encouraging students as their dreams take flight,” Nieto added.
“Because of your organization’s work, I’ll see my family in a week,” Isabella, one of the 2024 ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award recipients said.
“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 student continued.
Lawsuit against Southwest’s ¡Lánzate! Travel Program
The program faced its share of controversy in May 2024, when equal rights nonprofit group American Alliance for Equal Rights alleged that the airline’s program violated federal civil rights laws by excluding non-Hispanic students.
The group, representing two Asian and white students who were barred from entering the 2023 program, filed a lawsuit in a Dallas federal court, claiming that the airline can be sued under the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it received federal funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit also said the airline can be sued under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which prohibits racial bias in contracting.
On August 22, 2024, Southwest asked the court to dismiss the plaintiffs’ complaint, arguing that the claims were moot because the airline had already agreed to open the program so that eligibility will no longer be limited by race, ethnicity, or national origin.
The case is still ongoing, with an oral argument in court set to take place on November 12, 2024.