The Herbert D. Kelleher and Rollin W. King Scholarship was established in May 1981 by their namesakes. In its 40th year, this scholarship was established for eligible dependents of Southwest Airlines Employees to pursue higher education. Applicants must plan to enroll or be enrolled at an accredited vocational, community/junior college, or undergraduate institution. Each year, the selection committee receives hundreds of applications for these scholarships.

Among such a talented application pool, the selection committee looks for students showing academic achievement, financial need, demonstrated communication skills and strong character values. In addition, the selection committee will take into consideration the overall quality of the application materials, personal statement and interview.

• Must be an eligible dependent of a Southwest Airlines (SWA) Employee (spouses are ineligible)
• At the time scholarships are due, the SWA employee must be an active employee of at least two years
• Must be a high school senior or high school graduate; having received a diploma or equivalency
• Age must be 24 or younger at the time applications are due
• Eligible dependents must attend or plan to attend an accredited vocational, community/junior college or undergraduate institution, and must be pursuing their first post-secondary degree or certificate for the upcoming academic year
• Demonstrated academic achievement or growth and leadership qualities through extracurricular involvement
• Minimum of a 2.5 cumulative GPA (if currently enrolled in classes)
• Scholarships may be applied only to tuition, on-campus room and board, books and any other items related to a university’s cost of attendance. Students who receive full scholarships (covering the cost of tuition and books) during the year from any other source(s) are not eligible