Free Airline Tickets from Southwest and HACU
Southwest Airlines and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
4th Annual Education Travel Award Program
* Roundtrip airline tickets awarded to students with socio-economic need who travel away from home to pursue a higher education
* Applications due by May 30, 2008
* Students must apply on-line at www.hacu.net
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Southwest Airlines and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Announce 4th Annual Education Travel Award Program
"Dándole Alas a Tu Éxito/Giving Flight to Your Success" is Launched Across the Nation
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MAY 30, 2008
RECIPIENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA E-MAIL THE WEEK OF JULY 28, 2008
SAN ANTONIO, TX – April 11, 2008– Applications are now being accepted for the 4th Annual "Dándole Alas a Tu Éxito/Giving Flight to Your Success" travel award program sponsored by Southwest Airlines and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
Through this national education initiative, Southwest will provide roundtrip airline tickets to undergraduate and graduate students across the country with socio-economic need who travel away from home to pursue a higher education. To be eligible, students must apply on-line at www.hacu.net.
In this year's program, each student is eligible to receive between one and four roundtrip tickets for the student and/or parent to use when traveling to/from the university. The complimentary airline ticket(s) can be used for travel to any of the 64 destinations that Southwest serves.
To be eligible, students must apply online by clicking here. Students from HACU and non-HACU member institutions may apply. A selection of national education advocates and community leaders will determine the winners based on specific criteria.
Additional information regarding the travel award program from Southwest Airlines and HACU can be found at www.hacu.net, or contact: Lorena Blanco, HACU's Executive Director of Development and Marketing, at (210) 576-3224 or development@hacu.net.
Travel award recipients will be notified the week of July 28, 2008.
"Southwest Airlines is proud to support Hispanic youth achieving their dreams of a higher education," said Laura Nieto, Senior Manager of Southwest Airlines Corporate Community Affairs. "We are also happy to provide air travel to families with students away from home. Southwest keeps family bonds strong while students receive a college education."
Experts on Hispanic college students believe attainment levels would improve if students were more willing to travel longer distances to colleges well suited to meet their needs according to a Pew Hispanic Center report.
"HACU is proud to be part of the Lánzate program for the fourth year," said Antonio Flores, HACU President and CEO. "We admire Southwest's commitment to continue supporting Hispanic higher education by giving students the opportunity to 'spread their wings' while staying rooted at home."
HACU, headquartered 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. HACU's international
membership includes leading higher education institutions in Latin America, Portugal and Spain.
Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 64 airports in 32 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates almost 3,400 flights a day and has more than 34,000 employees system wide.
