McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship Program, now in its 37th year, recently announced the 2022 winners, 30 Hispanic high school graduates who aspire to go to college.

Help for Latino Students

“The HACER National Scholarship represents McDonald’s long-standing commitment to feeding and fostering the Hispanic community through impactful programs that uplift Latinos and set them up for success. Created to provide educational opportunities for students and motivate them to pursue higher education, the HACER National Scholarship program has helped more than 17,000 students since its founding in 1985,” is pointed out through a press release.

This educational grant is just one of many initiatives by the fast-food giant, which also sponsors other programs through these grants:

• Black and Positively Golden Scholarships, for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and the McDonald's/APIA scholarship program for Asian American and Pacific Islander students.
• Archways to Opportunity, which gives eligible employees at participating U.S. restaurants the chance to earn a high school diploma, receive initial college tuition assistance, access free career education/counseling services, and learn english as a second language.

Betting on Inclusion

McDonald's refers to the barriers that many Hispanic students must face to successfully complete their studies, pointing out that in many cases several of these young people are the first in their families to aspire to a university education, a process with serious financial implications where the organization offers its help.

According to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), shared by McDonald's, public 4-year colleges and universities benefited from a 10.3% increase (compared to 2021) in the number of Hispanic attendees during the spring of 2022.

“With many students facing financial uncertainty and other factors that add to an already stressful college application process, McDonald’s and our Hispanic Owner/Operators remain committed to investing in education and advancement opportunities to help young people reach their full potential,” said Richard Castro, a McDonald’s Owner/Operator and national HACER scholarship chairperson.

How are they selected?

Scholarship recipients are chosen through a rigorous selection process, which includes an application, a questionnaire, and interviews with a distinguished panel of judges representing academia, business, the media, and McDonald's USA.

Those selected, in addition to their financial condition, must have excellent academic performance and a significant number of hours of community work.

Castro highlights:

We’re proud to celebrate this year’s recipients and encourage future college students to apply to HACER as one of the first steps toward achieving their educational dreams.

The next scholarship application period opens on October 18, 2022 and runs until February 3, 2023.

To see the full list of selected students click here.