A well educated work force is critical to the economic well-being of our country, and Southwest Airlines has long supported education through a number of channels including our acclaimed Adopt-A-Pilot program and various scholarship opportunities such as our ¡Lánzate! /Take Off! Travel Award, designed to help Latino students stay connected to their families as they pursue higher education.

For the past five years, Southwest Airlines has awarded the ¡Lánzate! /Take Off! Travel Award to undergraduate and graduate Latino students with socio-economic need who journey away from home for school.

Applicants must submit an essay explaining why they deserve the travel award and what inspires them to pursue a college degree.  A panel of judges comprised of college professors and education advocates from coast-to-coast will gather in the summer to select the winning essays.  The winners are eligible to receive from one to four complimentary roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines, which the student or an immediate family member may use to travel to/from school.

One previous ¡Lánzate! recipient states:  “Being able to reconnect with my family back home is essential to my academic achievement. In them, I find emotional as well as spiritual support to continue this journey in being the first one in my family to attain a PhD. The Lanzate program was able to financially facilitate these most needed visits.”

Another recipient writes:   “It has made a dramatic difference in my staying in school. It is difficult financially to purchase tickets from Michigan to California on a student budget. Being able to see my family, who is my greatest support, made a difference in my academics.”

Southwest Airlines is happy to make a difference in the lives of so many families. Over time, this investment in young people will make a greater impact when they 'take off!' as productive contributing citizens in our communities.

If you know a student who is eligible and in need of the Lánzate! /Take Off! Travel Award, please click here for more information.