Helping first-generation college students achieve their dream

POSTED ON Mar 22, 2023

In November 2022, the Hector and Gloria López Foundation tweeted about an investment in scholarships and support for 32 Latino students, who will be the first in their families to graduate from college or university.

This week, UTSA Today, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio, announced that the Hector and Gloria López Foundation had provided a $2.4 million grant for 15 Latino first-generation college students at UTSA.

Over the next five years, López Scholars will receive support for tuition and fees and other resources, including mentorship, tutoring, housing, study abroad programs, paid internships, and leadership development, UTSA said.

“I am immensely grateful for the generosity of the Hector and Gloria López Foundation and their support of our vision to become a national model for student success, empowering all students—regardless of their background— to succeed,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “This grant will directly impact our students who are gaining the skills needed to build a talent pipeline that will grow the workforce for our city, region, and state.”

Hector and Gloria López left their estate to the foundation in 2021. Their vision was to help remove traditional barriers to resources and support the academic success of first-generation Latino college students in need of financial assistance across Texas.

“It’s important that young Latinos see a clear path to success, and UTSA is a key contributor to making Latino dreams a reality,” said Sergio Rodríguez, Foundation CEO and nephew of Hector and Gloria López. “The University of Texas at San Antonio is an ideal recipient of the López Foundation grant for its infrastructure to serve first-generation and low-income students, its programs to increase Latino representation, and because it resides in a city with a majority Latino population.”

To become a López Scholar, applicants must be Latino, demonstrate a financial need, be the first in their family to attend college, and have lived in or graduated from a high school in one of the five focus areas: El Paso, Austin, San Antonio, and communities in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

Latinos are much more likely to be first-generation college students than other racial/ethnic groups, according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute. Recent data also shows that 31.6% of students enrolled at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) were first-generation.

In spring 2021, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) said that despite a strong commitment to achieving a bachelor’s degree, students who are the first in their families to attend college often face more cultural, academic and financial barriers than other students do on their path to graduation.

FirstGen students need more support from parents with college experience who can help them navigate the admissions process, financial aid, and locate on-campus resources, UTEP said. First-generation students also are more likely to be low-income, which means they cannot rely on family for financial support to complete their degrees.

“Today, over 40% of entering students are first-gen, as are about one-third of graduating students,” wrote Dick Startz, an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in a recent study. “First-generation college students face unique challenges. Being a first-gen student does mean something more than just coming from a low-income family.”

Today we #celebratefirstgen and the 32 López Scholars. @HGLFoundation invests in scholarships and support for students who are Latino and will be the first in their families to graduate from college or university. #Latinocollegejourney pic.twitter.com/BYwAaXRw1F

— Hector and Gloria López Foundation (@HGLFoundation) November 17, 2022