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Written on May 06, 2025
When we stop at a fast food restaurant to grab a quick and easy meal, we don’t typically think of the impact that choice may have on other people, and we certainly don’t consider the altruism of the brand itself. But, it turns out that purchases at one popular fast food chain add up not only to profits for the company, but also to the possibility of a debt-free college education for young people.
Taco Bell, part of the family of Yum! Brands, which has a net worth of $41.54 billion, is a popular choice for consumers looking for Mexican cuisine that can be ordered cheaply and quickly. In the midst of making thousands of tacos and burritos over the years, the restaurant has also had another mission that they have kept much quieter — paying for students’ college tuition.
Kamrin Baker reported on Taco Bell’s generosity towards college students for GoodGoodGood.co. According to Baker, the restaurant has awarded $64 million in scholarships to college students over the past decade.
The scholarship, known as the Live Más Scholarship, in honor of Taco Bell’s slogan, is awarded based on the qualities of passion, social impact, personal presentation, and educational goals. A press release from the Taco Bell Foundation stated that GPAs are not factored into decisions about scholarship recipients, which are instead based on “passion.” Applicants can display this passion in a two-minute video submission in which they “[spotlight] how they plan to make an impact.”
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The scholarship is awarded to Taco Bell employees pursuing a college education through the Taco Bell Corporation and franchisees. Meanwhile, students outside of the company can apply as well.
If you’ve ever been asked to round up the cost of your order to the nearest dollar when purchasing something from Taco Bell, your money has gone to help those applicants. The press release said that the average donation in this situation is 44 cents. Those pennies add up to be enough to sponsor the scholarship for Taco Bell “fans.”
A TikTok content creator named Crimsyn relayed her own story of being able to pay for college in full with the help of the Live Más Scholarship. She explained that she had previously worked at Taco Bell for two years, and about six months into her time there, her boss encouraged her to apply for the scholarship. At the time, she didn’t even know it existed.
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“And I was expecting this, like, long, extensive process on how to apply, but literally it was like, what’s your name, your GPA, like, general info, and then all you had to do was create a two-minute video talking about what you would do with the money,” she explained. “And so I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll try it.’”
Crimsyn may have acted on a whim, but it paid off. She got the scholarship and was awarded $10,000, which she was able to renew every four years for a total of $40,000. Combined with financial aid from her school, her tuition was paid in full.
In honor of the scholarship’s tenth anniversary, the Taco Bell Foundation announced it was doing something special. $14 million would be given to students, more than was ever awarded in one year before. “Of that total, a record-breaking $4.5 million is going directly to Taco Bell Team Members — underscoring the Taco Bell Foundation’s commitment to the people who bring the brand to life every day,” the press release said.
Taco Bell isn’t a brand known for being overly charitable, yet, all this time, they’ve been helping employees and customers alike pay for one of the most important investments they will ever make. The restaurant should be applauded for this.
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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
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