Taco Bell Foundation's Live Más Scholarship Marks 10 Years, Awards $14 Million

Ten years after launching with roughly $1 million in annual funding and 6,000 applicants, the Taco Bell Foundation's Live Más Scholarship program distributed $14 million in its anniversary year to more than 15,000 applicants nationwide, marking the largest single-year award in the program's history.

Of that $14 million, a record $4.5 million went directly to Taco Bell Team Members, funded through contributions from Taco Bell Corp. and Taco Bell franchisees. The remaining scholarships for fans were financed entirely through the Round Up program, which lets customers donate at checkout by rounding up their total to the nearest dollar. The average Round Up donation amounts to 44 cents.

Individual awards range from $5,000 to $25,000 per recipient, with renewal options available for continued support. Since the program's inception, the Taco Bell Foundation has awarded more than $64 million in Live Más Scholarships to over 3,000 recipients, more than 1,000 of whom are Taco Bell Team Members.

The growth in employee participation alone illustrates how dramatically the program has expanded. The inaugural class included 270 team member scholarships; this year's class included 1,000. Applications from employees have increased by nearly 450% over the program's run.

"What's inspired me most at the Taco Bell Foundation is the incredible ambition of our scholars, especially our Team Member recipients," said Lisa Lane Cardin, executive director of the Taco Bell Foundation.

The program's reach extends well beyond the restaurant. Diamonte Jonas, one of the first-ever Live Más Scholarship recipients, is now a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Hawaii. "The Live Más Scholarship propelled my educational pursuit and reminded me that great achievements take bold risks," Jonas said. Another recent recipient received a $25,000 award to study biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California.

The foundation has built infrastructure to sustain those relationships over time. It launched a Renewal Program in 2018 to continue supporting previous recipients and introduced an inaugural Live Más Scholarship Alumni Council in 2024 to guide alumni relations for the 3,000-plus scholar community. The Round Up program, which now powers fan scholarship funding, was introduced in restaurants nationwide in 2019.

Earlier program milestones include meeting a stated commitment to award $21 million in Live Más Scholarships by 2021 and, in 2023, reaching $15 million awarded through its Community Grants program to more than 450 nonprofit organizations.

The foundation's 2025 LMS Impact Report, along with audited financials and Form 990 filings, are available through the Taco Bell Foundation's website for those who want a closer look at how the money moves.