Taco Bell Foundation Opens $14.5 Million Scholarship Applications for 2026

The Taco Bell Foundation's 11th annual Live Más Scholarship cycle is entering its final stretch, with $14.5 million in awards set to reach recipients and notifications scheduled for on or about April 21.

The application window ran from October 14, 2025 through January 6, 2026, during which eligible candidates aged 16 to 26 submitted either a 30-second to 2-minute video or a 250- to 500-word essay, along with a single photo representing their passion. The selection period began January 7 and runs through the announcement date later this month.

To qualify, applicants had to be U.S. residents or dependents of active-duty U.S. military and either currently enrolled in or on track to enroll in an accredited post-secondary program. The Foundation's scope is intentionally wide: eligible education pathways include GED programs, vocational training, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and coursework beyond. Previous scholarship winners could reapply under the Foundation's renewal rules. Beyond the cash awards, the Foundation connects recipients with mentoring and career resources, positioning the scholarship as a development pathway rather than a one-time payment.

Since launching in 2015, Live Más has distributed tens of millions of dollars and functions as a concrete workforce development tool inside the company. For team members still in high school or early in their careers, the program represents a structured path into further education funded, at least in part, by the company they work for.

For managers, the implications run in two directions. On the recruiting side, the scholarship is a measurable differentiator in a tight labor market: a candidate weighing Taco Bell against a competitor with no equivalent program has a tangible reason to choose a Taco Bell role. On the retention side, the Foundation frames the scholarship as part of a wider suite of learning and tuition programs, meaning stores that engage with the full package can extend crew tenure and develop promotable front-line talent.

Franchise participation in the Foundation's associated programs varies by operator, so managers should confirm with their local franchisee what is structured around scholarship winners at their specific location.

With notifications arriving around April 21, there are roughly two weeks to prepare internal recognition for any winners on a given team. Celebrating those winners publicly, whether in a crew meeting, a break room post, or a store group chat, converts a corporate-level CSR program into a visible, concrete signal that advancement from the crew level up is not just possible but documented.