Championing prosperity through advanced education.
South Texans Hector and Gloria López believed in the power of higher education. They knew intuitively what the data currently show–that higher education correlates to greater economic mobility, increased employment options, civic engagement and often better health and wellness.
The foundation they created, the Hector and Gloria López Foundation (HGLF), is committed to increasing the number of university graduates with a bachelor's degree, providing the resources to graduate debt-free on a path to a rewarding career and the leadership skills needed for future success.
HGLF works primarily in the southern part of Texas, from El Paso to Austin and south to the US-México border.
Historically a bachelor’s degree has provided the most stable employment outcomes. By 2031, six out of 10 jobs in Texas will require some postsecondary education–with at least two of those requiring a bachelor’s degree and one a graduate degree, according to projections from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. That means over 4.6 million jobs will require a bachelor’s or graduate degree in Texas alone.
Additional estimates from Georgetown conclude that Texans are leaving $1.1 million in lifetime earnings on the table by not earning a bachelor’s degree after high school. The gains, and resulting impact on the Texas economy, for obtaining advanced degrees are even more significant.
Yet the most recent Census (2023) estimates only a third of Texans had a Bachelor’s or higher. That means to meet the job demands of the growing Texas economy and population, more Texans need to earn bachelor’s or graduate degrees, especially focused on high-demand fields like healthcare, business and finance, computer and mathematical science and education.
That’s why HGLF remains committed to increasing bachelor’s degree and ultimately professional degree completion rates to put Texans on a path to achieve success as our founders achieved.
Over the next ten years, HGLF’s goal is to invest in over 700 López Scholars on their path to a bachelor’s degree. In 1965, Hector shared in a speech that “our youth are our future.” That phrase is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago. HGLF knows that with support, López Scholars have an increased opportunity to graduate, debt free and on a path to building economic prosperity for themselves and for their families. HGLF’s investment in López Scholars is an investment in their future and in the future of Texas.
HGLF helps López Scholars graduate debt-free and connect with opportunities and campus resources they need for academic success. On their path to a degree and a rewarding career, López Scholars engage with HGLF to develop the leadership skills they will need in a changing world. HGLF provides these resources to catalyze economic success that will last a lifetime.
“Our youth are our future.”
— Hector S. López, 1965