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One of the demographic groups in the U.S. with the highest growth is the Hispanic community. It makes sense that many businesses and organizations provide large scholarships for Latino and Hispanic students. For instance, the McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship is one of the best sources of financial help for Hispanics.
The largest chain of fast-food restaurants in the world and one of the most recognizable brand names, McDonald’s, is providing and presenting this resource. McDonald’s hopes to assist Hispanic students from all around the country in paying for their college tuition through this program.
Below, you’ll be able to learn in-depth about McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship. Keep on reading to find out the best strategies on how to get McDonald’s scholarship.
What Is the McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship?
With assistance from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), McDonald’s Corporation, and regional McDonald’s Hispanic operators around the nation, El Paso, Texas-based McDonald’s owner Richard Castro established the McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship in 1985.
The fellowship was created by Castro, a former teacher, in response to rising Hispanic student dropout rates as a result of financial hardships. He appealed to his fellow business owners and the general public for assistance in removing the cost of attending college as a barrier.
Given that Hispanic and Latino children are frequently the first to leave home and enroll in school, McDonald’s believes that by offering them a support network, they’d find it easier to adjust to school and the working world.
We strongly recommend this award to any Hispanic high school seniors planning to attend college. See the McDonald’s scholarship requirements below to see whether you meet them.
Am I Eligible for this Scholarship?
To be considered for the scholarship, you must:
- Be a high school senior
- Carry a minimum 2.8 Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Be a legal U.S. resident or a DREAMer/DACA recipient
- Have at least one parent of Hispanic heritage
- Be younger than 21 years’ old
- Attend a two- or four-year college or university with a full-time course of study
- Disclose other scholarship programs that you’ve applied for
- Plan to enroll and attend and accredited institution in the academic year after your selection
Furthermore, recipients will be selected based on:
- Academic achievement
- Community involvement
- Financial need
- Personal qualities and strengths as portrayed in an interview, either in-person or by phone
- Personal statement
If you can tick all these criteria, you’re good to go.
How Much Money Can I Get from the Scholarship?
The program will offer scholarships to 30 outstanding Hispanic students on three different tiers.
Tier 1 recipients will be awarded either $100,000, $50,000, or $25,000. Tier 2 recipients will receive $20,000 or $10,000 and Tier Recipients $5,000. Recipients can use the funds to cover tuition and purchases of books and supplies.
What Information Do I Need to Apply?
Fortunately, the scholarship’s application process does not include any essay requirements. It doesn’t imply that no effort is needed, though. The only prerequisites are these documents, thus it still represents a viable option if you’re seeking an easy, no-essay scholarship:
- FAFSA report and/or 1040s
- High school transcript
- Letter of recommendation to be submitted online
- List of community service projects
- Personal statement
How Do I Apply for the McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship?
You can apply for the scholarship by clicking here or on the McDonald’s website. Make sure to submit your application by February 7, 2023, at 8:59 p.m. PST, the McDonald’s scholarship deadline. Before completing the application, you must create an account or sign in if you already have one.
When Do I Found Out Whether I’ve Been Selected for the Scholarship?
Typically, semi-finalists are notified in the middle of February, and winners are chosen in May and June. Make sure you’ve finished all the tests your chosen institution or university requires by this point. Additionally, it’s crucial to remember to maintain your high school grades and classes while you’re at it.
How to Raise My Odds of Winning a McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship?
There isn’t a single thing you can do to ensure you get the scholarship. There are, however, a few actions you may take to distinguish yourself from the competitors and raise your chances of earning an award.
Community Service
Your dedication to the community will be taken into consideration by McDonald’s during the selection process. In fact, your participation in community activities demonstrates that you are a responsible individual who gives back to society.
Additionally, volunteering demonstrates to scholarship committees that you may have others as your primary emphasis in addition to oneself. Opportunities for volunteering can be found online. Search online for the organization you wish to collaborate with if you have a specific one in mind.
Check for neighborhood charities and social service organizations if you aren’t specifically looking for one. These places typically assist locals who need assistance.
GPA
Although GPA doesn’t seem to be a major factor in selection, it can assist you stand out from the competition.
There is still plenty of time for freshmen to improve their GPA. You still have most of your classes to go. You shouldn’t have any trouble improving your study habits if you make smart adjustments immediately.
If you’re a sophomore, you still have at least half of the grades that will determine your final GPA. You stand a good chance of progressing. Increase your efforts during the course of the following year, and you’ll probably be able to raise your GPA above the cutoff.
Letter of Recommendation
The scholarship selection committee can learn a lot about you through your letters of recommendation, which is why they’re so crucial. They provide external validation of your accomplishments, character traits, and abilities. These documents are essential for demonstrating your reliability and worthiness.
Request that a responsible adult who is not a member of your family write your letters of recommendation. Because they taught you lately and for an entire year, junior year teachers are frequently the greatest candidates for recommenders.
You want to pick an instructor who is familiar with you. A teacher who got to know your personal abilities can probably give you a powerful vote of confidence even if you didn’t obtain the best scores in their classes.
Personal Statement
Plan for it because a compelling personal statement may create a huge different. It ought to explain why you deserve the scholarship. This frequently entails ensuring that your personal statement is relevant to McDonald’s objectives.
Spend 5 to 10 minutes on each of the following sets of questions to get you started:
- What significant events occurred in your life?
- What have you decided to do with your time?
- Which person or thing inspires you?
- What do you take pride in?
What’s Next
One of the greatest strategies to receive an award is to apply for numerous scholarships, which are a great way to help pay for education. The Burger King Scholarship and the Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship are a couple of similar awards you might want to consider.
Searching for even more scholarships to apply to? Check out 20 scholarships worth over $10,000 (deadline end of this year).
