Key Points
- Large restaurant chains can offer great college scholarships for their employees.
- Scholarships are typically available for employees and their dependents.
- Some of these companies also offer competitive public scholarships.
Your go-to fast food stop might be doing more than satisfying late-night cravings. It might be helping students pay for college. Big-name chains like Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, and Chipotle are serving up more than burgers and burritos — they’re handing out millions of dollars in scholarships and tuition help each year. Some are just for employees, others are open to anyone, but all offer a way to make college more affordable.
Whether it’s a $25,000 scholarship for a standout team member or tuition-covered online degrees, restaurants are becoming unlikely but powerful allies in the college affordability fight. Here’s a look at the menu of options available — and how to find out if your next meal could come with a side of scholarship money.
Related: Best Scholarship Search Websites
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Scholarships Awarded By Restaurants
Several popular restaurants and fast food chains award scholarships.
Burger King
Burger King Scholars Program awards 4,200 scholarships worth up to $60,000 for high school seniors who are employed by Burger King, children of employees, or local students in the community. Most scholarships are worth $1,000. The number of applications will be capped at 50,000.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures Scholarships awards $27 million in scholarships to 15,000 restaurant team members in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, with thirteen receiving $25,000. The other awardees received $1,000 or $2,500 scholarships. Chick-fil-A also provides $25,000 scholarships to 12 community scholars who do not work at Chick-fil-A. The recipients of the $25,000 scholarships must have a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent. For the smaller awards, the student must have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Chipotle
Chipotle Educational Assistance Program provides tuition-free college education benefits worth up to $5,250 per year through Guild to Chipotle employees.
Daren Restaurant Group
Darden restaurants include Olive Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, and Longhorn Steakhouse, among others.
The Darden Foundation awards up to 125 Next Course Scholarships worth $3,000 to high school seniors and college students who are dependent children of Darden team members. Applicants must be age 25 and under who are high school seniors or current college students.
Denny's
Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarship awards five $2,000 scholarships through HACU. Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts Regional Scholarship Program awards non-renewable scholarships in select regions where Dunkin’ is located. Examples include the Baltimore/Metro DC Regional Scholarship Program, which awards up to 50 scholarships worth $2,500 each and the Philadelphia Regional Program, which awards up to 20 scholarships worth $5,000 each. Applicants must be high school seniors or current college students.
KFC
KFC Foundation Scholarships awards up to 400 scholarships worth $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 to KFC employees.
McDonald's
McDonald’s HACER® National Scholarship awards 30 scholarships worth $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 or $100,000 to Hispanic high school seniors with academic achievement and community involvement. The McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program provides college tuition assistance to restaurant employees.
Panera Bread
The Panera Bread Knead for Knowledge Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students who were diagnosed with cancer or a chronic blood disorder under age 21 or students who lost a sibling who would have been eligible for the scholarship. The scholarship is available to high school seniors and college students pursuing an undergraduate degree or certificate. Eligible applicants must have been treated in the Greater Tampa Bay, Florida area. Residents of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, or Sarasota, Florida are eligible to apply. The scholarships are awarded through the Children’s Cancer Center.
Papa John's
Papa John’s Dough & Degrees programs allows corporate team members to pursue online education for free through partner colleges. Participants can pursue an Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree.
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut Foundation Scholarship awards college scholarships worth up to $2,000 for employees and students. Applicants must be age 17-26, have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Winners must agree to participate in a 14-week mentorship program.
Starbucks
Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP) lets Starbucks employees pursue a Bachelor’s degree online for free through Arizona State University.
Subway
Subway Fresh Start Scholarship awards 250 scholarships worth $2,500 to Subway employees who are currently enrolled in college or planning to enroll. The scholarships are awarded through the Subway Cares Foundation.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell Foundation’s Live Más Scholarship awards over 150 scholarships worth $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000. Applications submit a 2-minute video about their passion and educational goals, including how they will use their passion to make their community, country and the world a better place. Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 26.
Final Thoughts
Working through college can provided valuable skills, needed financial assistance, and in some cases, scholarships to help pay for college.
Students shouldn't sleep on these programs to help them pay for college!
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Editor: Robert Farrington
Mark Kantrowitz is an expert on student financial aid, scholarships, 529 plans, and student loans. He has been quoted in more than 10,000 newspaper and magazine articles about college admissions and financial aid. Mark has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, USA Today, MarketWatch, Money Magazine, Forbes, Newsweek, and Time. You can find his work on Student Aid Policy here.
Mark is the author of five bestselling books about scholarships and financial aid and holds seven patents. Mark serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Financial Aid, the editorial advisory board of Bottom Line/Personal, and is a member of the board of trustees of the Center for Excellence in Education. He previously served as a member of the board of directors of the National Scholarship Providers Association. Mark has two Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master’s degree in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).