The Taco Bell Foundation is expanding passion-based education scholarships through its 12th annual Live Más Scholarship program, offering more than $13 million to young people pursuing educational goals. Unlike traditional scholarships that emphasize academic performance, the program evaluates applicants through personal ambitions and their potential impact, without requiring grades, test scores, or résumés.
Students aged 16 to 26 can apply for awards ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 by submitting a short video or written essay. Recipients can also access mentorship, networking opportunities, and career development resources. Since 2015, the program has distributed more than $78 million across all 50 states.
For Taco Bell, the initiative strengthens its commitment to supporting young consumers and employees through educational opportunities. Customer contributions also play a significant role, with Round Up donations generating over $51 million for the foundation's programs in 2025.
Image Credit: Taco Bell
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Passion-based Scholarships
- Funding models centered on ambition and personal impact create room for education access platforms that move beyond grades, test scores, and résumés.
- Video-first Applications
- Short-form submissions introduce new possibilities for assessment tools that evaluate creativity, communication, and lived experience at scale.
- Consumer-funded Education
- Checkout donation ecosystems can transform everyday purchases into recurring scholarship capital tied to brand loyalty and social impact.
Sectors Adopting This
- Education Funding
- Alternative scholarship criteria are reshaping how financial aid organizations identify talent and expand support for nontraditional learners.
- Quick-service Restaurants
- Brand-led education programs give restaurant chains a differentiated way to connect with young workers and customers beyond food transactions.
- Youth Career Development
- Mentorship, networking, and skills resources linked to scholarships point to integrated support models for early-career advancement.
