Hispanic high school seniors interested in attending college encouraged to apply for McDonald’s scholarships

EL PASO, Texas - Local Hispanic high school seniors with a goal of attending college but who may not have the funds to do so are encouraged to apply for scholarships sponsored by McDonald's.

McDonald's national HACER scholarship program is accepting applications through February 5th. The program awards scholarships of up to $100,000.

Founded by Mr. Richard Castro, McDonald's owner/operator, HACER scholarships are local and national scholarships awarded to Hispanic students beginning their freshman year of college. The scholarships are offered by McDonald's through local Ronald McDonald House Charities.

HACER National Scholarships are $100,000 ($25,000 per year paid over four years) for five students who verify enrollment at any accredited institution that provides post-secondary education each year, among other requirements. There are students from El Paso who have been recipients of a HACER scholarship.

The qualifications for the HACER scholarships are:

• You're a high school senior
• You're a legal U.S. resident
• You're younger than 21 years old
• You carry a minimum 3.0 GPA
• You're eligible to attend a two- or four-year college or university with a full-time course of study
• You'll disclose other scholarship programs that you've applied for
• You'll enroll and attend an accredited institution in the academic year after your selection (verification needed, as scholarship funds are paid directly to the schools)
• You have at least one parent of Hispanic heritage

The scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, financial need, community involvement, personal qualities and strengths as portrayed in a personal interview, either in-person or by phone.

Winners for the national HACER scholarships are selected by May or June. To apply for a national scholarship, go to https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/community/hacer.html

The local McDonald's scholarships are awarded to students planning to attend UTEP or El Paso Community College. A total of $100,000 in scholarships are awarded to 18 deserving students. To learn about the qualifications and to apply, visit http://mcdonaldselpasoscholarships.com/