UP TO $14 MILLION FOR THE TAKING: TACO BELL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES OPENING OF LIVE MÁS SCHOLARSHIP

The Taco Bell Foundation is celebrating ten years of empowering students to ignite change by distributing a record scholarship fund.

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Taco Bell Foundation is excited to announce the 10^th annual opening of the Live Más Scholarship application. In 2025, the Foundation will be distributing up to $14 million to fuel the future for passionate students aged 16 to 26, a significant increase from the $10 million awarded last year. Open to Taco Bell Team Members and customers alike, submitting a two-minute video could earn students up to $25,000 in scholarship funds towards their education. This opportunity is designed for those who dare to dream big and challenge the status quo, embodying the true essence of a cultural rebel.

The Live Más Scholarship has come a long way, boasting a scholar community of nearly 3,000 students and contributing over $50 million in funds. But this program offers more than just financial support; scholars forge lifelong friendships with like-minded peers and gain connections to mentors, professional opportunities, exclusive networking events, an annual conference and more. This year's increased funding from the Foundation provides more opportunities than ever for students to follow their passions through education and achieve their dream careers.

"I am incredibly grateful for the Live Más Scholarship, as it eases the financial burden of college, allowing me to concentrate more on pursuing my passions and investing more of myself into service projects," said Victoria Mondani, 3-time Live Más Scholarship recipient and Taco Bell Team Member. "Working at Taco Bell was my first job, and I never could've imagined the impact this community has had on my life and career."

The Live Más Scholarship recognizes that educational institutions are not one-size-fits-all and encourages students to follow the path that suits them best, whether that's community college, a graduate program, or tech and trade schools. Between the 2023 and 2024 application cycle, there was a 127% increase in new recipients attending two-year programs. Additionally, the Live Más Scholarship seeks to dispel the myth that scholarships are solely for incoming freshmen – over 42% of 2024's scholar recipients are college upperclassmen, and more than 11% are graduate students.

Whereas most scholarships restrict eligibility based on GPA or athletic achievements, the Live Más Scholarship is designed for those whose pursuit of passion knows no bounds. Pen and paper applications often fail to capture the unique personalities and aspirations of applicants. Thus, the Live Más Scholarship doesn't require grades, essays or test scores and instead uses a non-traditional video format. Applicants submit a two-minute video to express their passion, articulate the positive impact they aspire to create in the world and describe how education will pave the path to achieve that goal. Additionally, the program offers renewal options, allowing previous recipients to continue receiving support throughout their educational journeys, with the possibility of up to four renewals.

"Empowering ambitious young people is at the heart of everything we do, supporting those who dare to dream big," said Julie Davis, Taco Bell's Global Chief Legal Officer and Executive Sponsor of the Taco Bell Foundation. "This year is an especially exciting one as we're allocating more scholarship funds for Taco Bell Team Members than ever before. Their hard work and dedication are deeply appreciated, and we want to inspire and enable them to Live Más at every opportunity."

The application period is now open and will close on January 8, 2025. Recipients will be announced in April 2025. The award amounts are $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 per student. Of these awards, the Taco Bell Foundation will allot approximately $4.5 million – a million dollars more than last year – for Taco Bell Team Members who have been employed at a Taco Bell Restaurant for at least 30 continuous days.

The Taco Bell Foundation partners with Taco Bell restaurants across the country to raise money through the Round Up program, where customers can choose to round up their order total to the nearest dollar to support Taco Bell Foundation year-round. Round Up funds support Live Más Scholarships for the general public, while donations from Taco Bell franchise owners, brand partners and Taco Bell Corp. support Live Más Scholarships for Taco Bell Team Members.

For more details on how this scholarship changes lives and the application process, please visit livemasscholarship.com.

About Taco Bell Foundation

Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that helps break down barriers to educate and inspire the next generation of America's young leaders. Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached more than 5 million young people across the country and has awarded more than $188 million in grants and scholarships, focused on education and career readiness. For more information about the Taco Bell Foundation, visit www.tacobellfoundation.org.

Delani Myers - Edelman
[email protected]

Natalie Hochberg – Taco Bell Corp.
[email protected]

SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.