SWA Community

At Southwest Airlines, we believe educated communities are empowered communities, and that every student should have the opportunity to follow their educational dreams. We share a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and are determined to give back to the communities we serve and invest in the academic success of our hard-working students. We are proud to invest in partnerships such as San Diego State University as they develop the youth of today for the leadership of tomorrow and help deserving students achieve their dreams.

San Diego State University

In California, we all benefit from an educated citizenry and from a system of higher education where students from all backgrounds can thrive.

Southwest Airlines is a valued partner with San Diego State University in both of these endeavors, helping foster a more inclusive and representative academic community at one of the most diverse college campuses in the nation. Southwest Airlines supports an excellence fund for ten SDSU cultural centers that are at the heart of our commitment to student academic success.

The centers operate under the auspices of the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity and foster an environment of equity and inclusion, covering a wide range of backgrounds and identities. Many are oriented toward students who traditionally were underserved on college campuses.

Housed in offices across the San Diego and Imperial Valley campuses, they are: Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Resource Center, Black Resource Center, SDSU Imperial Valley Cross-Cultural Center, Center for Intercultural Relations, Latinx Resource Center, Native Resource Center, The Pride Center, Project Rebound (serving formerly incarcerated students), Undocumented Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center.

Through the years countless students have credited their involvement in a resource center with helping them feel welcome and accepted at SDSU, and they are considered an important tool in the goal of retaining students through the completion of their degrees ― a priority for the California State University system.

As an example, the Black Resource Center has used flight vouchers to send students to a leadership conference in New York City, including some taking their very first trip by air.

The Cesar Chavez Commemorative Scholarship supports farm, domestic or service workers (including jobs in food, hospitality, construction or homecare) or their sons, daughters and spouses. Presented at an annual fundraising luncheon that coincides with the Cesar Chavez holiday, these need-based scholarships assist prospective students who aspire to help others in the tradition established by the iconic civil rights activist and labor leader.

By investing in these and many other programs, Southwest Airlines supports initiatives that have proven instrumental in promoting diversity, and in helping deserving students achieve their dreams in challenging times.

SDSU is proud to serve the State of California as both a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). And in 2023, for a third straight year, SDSU’s five-star rating from Campus Pride earned it a spot as one of the “Best of the Best” for LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.