Empowering Future Leaders
The UIW López Scholars Program is dedicated to expanding access to higher education for underserved students across Texas, a core mission of the Hector and Gloria López Foundation. The foundation believes that postsecondary education drives economic mobility, health and opportunity, especially for first-generation students and underserved communities. This comprehensive program is designed to promote the future of Latino leadership in Texas by offering robust support for student success.
About our Program
The UIW López Scholars Program is more than a scholarship—it’s a commitment to your future. We champion prosperity through higher education, supporting Latino leadership and high-impact giving to meet Texas’s evolving workforce needs.
The program provides comprehensive support, including:
- promoting prosperity through higher education and philanthropy
- supporting Latino leadership and high-impact giving
- addressing Texas’s urgent need for degree-holders as the state’s workforce evolves
- partnering with universities to provide comprehensive scholarships that cover tuition, housing, meals and wraparound services
Workshops for the First-Generation College Experience
The UIW López Scholars Program offers monthly workshops that amplify the first-generation college experience—from the first year, step-by-step, all the way through graduation. These sessions help Scholars build confidence, community and clarity as they navigate academic life and personal growth.
The workshop themes include:
Cultural Capital
Honoring lived experience, family wisdom and community knowledge as assets
Skill-Building Strategies
Practical tools for motivation, organization, time management and study habits
Beyond a Bachelor’s Degree
For eligible Scholars, the journey can continue after graduation. Through the 4+1 graduate pathway, students may earn a master’s degree at UIW with continued support and funding from the Hector and Gloria López Foundation. This makes the program a true launchpad for leadership, legacy and lifelong learning.
Rooted in Service and Spirit
The UIW López Scholars participate in collective service projects that reflect the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Guided by values of compassion, social justice and community.
These projects are more than volunteer hours—they are acts of solidarity, leadership and reflection. Through service, the UIW Scholars deepen their connection to UIW’s founding vision and learn to lead with purpose and heart.
In the News
UIW Receives Major Grant from the Hector and Gloria López Foundation
March 26, 2024 – The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is proud to announce today that the Hector and Gloria López Foundation (HGLF) has awarded the university a generous grant of $2,477,933. The grant is part of the López Foundation’s larger gift of $7.2 million made to three universities in San Antonio including UIW, St. Mary’s University and Our Lady of the Lake University. The Hector and Gloria López Foundation was founded 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 basis for their economic prosperity.
UIW López Scholars Program
Dr. Deborah A. Quiñones
López Scholars Program Director
Phone: (210) 805-3697
Email: quinone@uiwtx.edu