McDonald’s® Contribution to the Hacer® National Scholarship Totals $4.5 Million Since 2008

Five Hispanic high school seniors have been awarded the $100,000 national scholarship to achieve their college dreams

Though college degree attainment has increased for Hispanic students in the U.S. in the past 11 years1, college affordability remains a barrier for many. To continue being part of the solution to close the education gap for Hispanic students in the U.S., McDonald’s has granted a total of $4.5 million to support the McDonald’s HACER® National Scholarship since 2008. HACER®, which stands for Hispanic American Commitment to Education Resources, counts on the exclusive support of McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s Hispanic owner/operators.

The direct support for the HACER National Scholarship is part of McDonald's commitment to education, helping individuals reach their full potential. This year, the five college-bound Hispanic high school seniors who will receive a $100,000 scholarship each are:

• Julio Ornelas, El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, CA, attending Stanford University
• Miles Acevez-Lewis, educated at home with classes at St. Constantine School in Houston, TX, attending Georgetown University
• Stephanie Reyes Munoz, Eleanor Roosevelt High in Lanham, MD, attending University of Washington Seattle Campus
• Bridgette Ramirez, Reagan High School in Humble, TX attending Brown University
• Andrea Hinojosa, Bel Air High School, Canutillo, TX, attending George Washington University

For scholarship recipient Stephanie Reyes Munoz, McDonald’s and the HACER National Scholarship represent opportunity. “I am grateful, because McDonald’s is providing me with the resources I need to be the first in my family to go to college,” says Reyes, whose mom brought her to the U.S. from El Salvador when she was seven years old.

Support of the HACER National Scholarship underscores McDonald’s ongoing commitment to providing education and career opportunities for young people. McDonald’s Corporation recently announced a new initiative called Youth Opportunity that sets a global goal to reduce barriers to employment for two million young people by 2025 through pre-employment job readiness training, employment opportunities and education programs. In addition, in March of this year the company invested $150 million in its Archways to Opportunity program which provides eligible U.S. employees an opportunity to earn a high school diploma, receive upfront college tuition assistance, access free education advising services and learn English as a second language.  Since the Archways program launched in 2015 it has increased education access for over 27, 300 people and awarded $26 million in high school and college tuition.

The McDonalds’ HACER National Scholarship was established in 2008, offering four $100,000 awards to deserving Hispanic high school seniors. In 2015, McDonald’s announced the addition of a fifth HACER National Scholarship, increasing its yearly support to half a million dollars.

National scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, community involvement and financial need. The rigorous selection process includes a completed application, a personal questionnaire and interviews with a distinguished panel of judges representing academia, business, media, and McDonald’s.

College-bound high school seniors and their parents are encouraged to visit mcdonalds.com/hacer for additional college resources in English and Spanish and for details on how to apply for the McDonald’s HACER® National Scholarship in October.  

About McDonald’s

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. More than 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women who are independent employers, and set their own employment policies and practices, including pay and benefits for the people working in their restaurants.

1Excelencia in Education. (2015). The Condition of Latinos in Education: 2015 Factbook. Washington, D.C.: Excelencia in Education