OLLU announces largest private gift in school’s history
“This will be a transformative gift for many of our students, about 40% of whom are first generation.”
Abel A. Chávez, OLLU president
Our Lady of the Lake University announced the largest private donation in its 129-year history, a $2.2 million grant that will assist first-generation students.
The gift from the Hector and Gloria López Foundation will help more Texas students graduate with the resources, skills and support needed for success — and without debt, the university said.
“This will be a transformative gift for many of our students, about 40% of whom are first generation,” said OLLU President Abel A. Chávez.
The university will celebrate the donation at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday with fanfare, mariachis and confetti.
Recipients of the grant funds, known as López Scholars, will get tuition assistance and be eligible for help with other expenses, including housing, internships, study abroad programs, leadership development and health insurance, child care, tutoring and equipment such as laptops. Some funds will be allocated to university staff to help the scholars earn degrees.
“We believe that, when possible, students should have the opportunity to pursue higher education without financial burden,” said Sergio Rodríguez, the foundation's president and CEO, and the nephew of Hector and Gloria López.
“We are excited to invest in students at San Antonio universities that are committed to addressing the unique needs of first-generation students, with comprehensive support for these students' success, both during their college years and after graduation.”
The scholars will pursue a range of majors and may be incoming freshmen or transfer students from other institutions. They're selected randomly by grantee universities among those who have been admitted. They must demonstrate financial need, be the first in their family to attend college and live in or have graduated from a high school in one of five target areas — El Paso, Austin, San Antonio and communities in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
The foundation was created to honor the legacy of Hector and Gloria López, married business partners and prominent community figures from South Texas who viewed their higher educational opportunities as the catalyst of their economic success.