Operations

The Taco Bell Foundation awards $8M in scholarships

Provided

April 27, 2022

The Taco Bell Foundation is providing than $8 million in scholarships for 772 students. With the help of Taco Bell's Chief Impact Officer, Lil Nas X, the Taco Bell Foundation is aiming to offer a memorable experience for the next generation of leaders, according to a company press release.

"I know firsthand what it's like to be a young person with a dream to break convention and change an industry," Lil Nas X said in the release. "It's an honor to support these Live Más Scholars and I am eager to see their next chapters unfold."

To qualif, students aged 16-26 submitted a two-minute video describing their passion, a positive change they want to make in the world, and how their education will help them achieve that goal.

Selected from a pool of 8,000 applicants, this year's scholarship recipients include nearly 200 fans of the brand, 150 Taco Bell Restaurant team members, and 430 renewal winners (both fans and team members who applied to renew a Live Más Scholarship they received in the past). Scholarship awards range from $5,000 to $25,000 per student.

"We are so excited to welcome a new, ambitious class of scholars," Jennifer Bradbury, executive director of the Taco Bell Foundation, said in the release. "These scholarships are about more than providing funds. It's about creating opportunity, driving passion and fueling the inspiration and ambition of young people across the country."

To raise money for the Live Más Scholarship consumer fund, the Taco Bell Foundation partners with Taco Bell restaurants through the Round Up program. By asking Taco Bell customers to round up their order total to the nearest dollar, the Taco Bell Foundation has raised more than 60 million since 2019.