IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The Taco Bell Foundation announced today that it is ahead of schedule to meet its commitment to award $10 million in Live Más Scholarships by 2022, and more than doubled that commitment to a total of $21 million by 2021. The Taco Bell Foundation is also opening its Live Más Scholarship application today for the fourth year in a row, with more than $4 million on the table for passionate young students, $1 million more than what was awarded this past year. The launch comes amid national attention on education access – during American Education Week and National Scholarship Month – to bolster awareness about the opportunities available to students.
“When we first committed to awarding $10 million, we never imagined we would be more than doubling it so quickly,” said Tina Nguyen, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation. “We know that affordability is a major barrier to education, so we hope that by doubling our funding, we can double the number of doors opened for young people, and remove twice as many obstacles for innovators, creators and dreamers.”
The Live Más Scholarship program primarily supports post-secondary education and opportunities for students aged 16-24 to pursue their unique passions that may not necessarily fit into the typical “academic” or “athletic” scholarship categories. The application requires a two-minute video describing your passion. No grades, essays or test scores required. The application will close on February 21, 2019 and winners will be announced in Spring 2019.
In this round, $4 million will be awarded, with scholarships ranging from $5,000 – $25,000 per student. The Taco Bell Foundation will award $1 million to Taco Bell team members including new scholarships and renewal scholarships (additional funds for those who have won in the past), and $3 million will go toward both new and renewal scholarships for young people nationwide.
In the first three years of the scholarship, the Taco Bell Foundation has already awarded $5.8 million in education support to nearly 600 students, including Taco Bell employees. Students in the program have also been given access to opportunities beyond finances, through workshops to help develop personal and professional skills and the Taco Bell Foundation’s partnership with MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership to foster relationship-building. Check out some of the past winners here and below:
- $25,000 winner, Taco Bell employee studying Japanese, Hannah Whitaker, was connected to a mentorship opportunity in Japan
- $35,000 (which includes a renewal scholarship) winner and aspiring filmmaker, Jonathan Curtiss, got to help create a Taco Bell commercial
- $25,000 winner and first-generation college student, Heidi Estrada, is hoping to positively impact people’s lives through politics
- $25,000 winner, Erin Smith, developed a tool to aid in the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease
Visit www.livemasscholarship.com to learn more and apply today.
About Taco Bell Foundation
Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that helps America’s young people pursue their educational goals and career aspirations. Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached more than 3.5 million youth across the country and has awarded more than $72 million in grants and scholarships, focused on education and career readiness. For more information about the Taco Bell Foundation, visit www.tacobellfoundation.org.
Polly Zintak – Edelman
Polly.Zintak@edelman.com
(202) 350-6672
Laura Nedbal – Taco Bell Corp.
Laura.Nedbal@yum.com
(949) 863-3915
SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.
