Taco Bell is giving young people a chance to earn thousands of dollars toward their education, and applicants don’t need an impressive GPA or high test scores to qualify.
The Taco Bell Foundation has opened applications for its 12th annual Live Más Scholarship, with more than $13 million available to help young people pursue their educational goals. Individual scholarships of $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000 are available to applicants ages 16–26, including Taco Bell fans and employees.
Unlike many traditional scholarship programs, the Live Más Scholarship doesn’t require applicants to submit their GPA, test scores or resume. Instead, applicants are asked to share their passions and explain how they hope to make a difference through their education.
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“To Live Más is to believe that your dreams are worth pursuing and that your path to success is yours to define,” said Morgan Tabor, executive director of the Taco Bell Foundation, in a press release. “With our continued investment in the Live Más Scholarship, we’re helping even more Taco Bell fans and Team Members pursue their passions, while surrounding them with the resources, community and support to turn their ambitions into reality.”
How to Apply for Taco Bell’s Live Más Scholarship
Applicants can submit either a two-minute video or a 250- to 500-word essay explaining what they’re passionate about, where they hope their education will take them and the impact they want to make.
Applications are open now through Jan. 5, 2027, and scholarship recipients will be announced in spring 2027.
Interested applicants can find eligibility requirements, frequently asked questions and application instructions on the Taco Bell Foundation’s Live Más Scholarship website.
The program supports a variety of educational paths, including universities, community colleges and vocational programs.
Since launching in 2015, the Live Más Scholarship has awarded more than $78 million to thousands of recipients across all 50 states. The program also offers opportunities to renew scholarships up to three times.
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One Taco Bell employee has already received a life-changing surprise as part of the 2027 scholarship class. Jose Q., a Taco Bell Team Member in Los Angeles, was awarded $25,000 after Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant learned that financial difficulties had forced him to put his college education on hold.
Jose, who hopes to pursue a degree in computer engineering and business, became the first recipient of the 2027 Live Más Scholarship class.
“When I turned and saw the big check, I started crying, because I didn’t think that would actually happen,” Jose said.
For other young people hoping to continue their education, applications are open now, with the January deadline giving prospective scholars a little more than two months to submit their stories.
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