A national scholarship program is offering young people a way to seek help with college or career training without submitting a GPA, test score or recommendation letter. The Taco Bell Foundation says more than $13 million is available through its Live Más Scholarship 2027 program.
For eligible students in Utica and the Mohawk Valley, the opportunity is the same as it is elsewhere in the country: apply for an award of $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 by explaining a personal interest, the community that shaped it and the difference they want to make.
The foundation promoted the round in an Oct. 27 announcement. Its official rules show the application period began Oct. 13. Applications close Jan. 5, 2027, at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, which is 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Don’t miss your chance to apply for the Live Más Scholarship 2027.
This is a competitive scholarship, not an automatic benefit. Applying does not guarantee an award, and the announcement does not identify a separate pool reserved for New York applicants.
Who can apply
The current application portal says new applicants must be 16 through 26 years old as of the Jan. 5 deadline. Both Taco Bell restaurant employees and people who do not work for the company may apply.
Applicants must be legal residents of the 50 states or Washington, D.C., located within the United States or D.C., or dependent children of active-duty U.S. military members. They must be preparing to apply for or enrolled in an accredited postsecondary program, including two-year or four-year colleges, universities, vocational-technical programs and trade schools. The official terms provide complete requirements.
That range matters for students still choosing a path. The program is not limited to a traditional four-year degree. A student preparing for a trade or technical career may also qualify, provided the program and applicant meet the rules.
New applicants cannot be previous Live Más Scholarship recipients. Returning recipients have a separate renewal process. Minors must obtain and submit written permission from a parent or legal guardian, according to the 2027 new-applicant terms and conditions.
A short video or essay tells the story
Applicants submit one original response: a video lasting 30 seconds to two minutes, or an essay of 250 to 500 words. The foundation’s FAQ says an essay may include a photo representing the applicant’s interest. Because the formal terms describe an essay with photos, check the final portal upload requirements and governing terms before submitting. Applications are submitted online, and there is no fee to apply.
The program’s current application guidance organizes the response around three areas: passion, community and impact. Students are asked to describe what matters to them, an experience in a community that helped shape them, and a change they have made or hope to make.
The prompts also ask for action, not just an ambition. Applicants should be ready to describe something they did in the past year to pursue their interest, what they learned and a step toward the impact they hope to have.
For a local student, that could mean thinking carefully about work already underway in school, a neighborhood group, a creative project or a technical skill. These are examples of how to approach the prompts, not preferred topics or a promise that one activity will score better than another.
Financial need is part of the review
The application portal says financial need is considered for new applicants, along with the substance of their response. The foundation may also consider educational paths and geographic locations when selecting recipients.
The FAQ says applicants do not need to upload FAFSA or tax documents with the application, although additional information may be requested during verification. Not asking for those documents at the first step does not mean financial circumstances are ignored.
The portal also discloses that reviews may use people, automated or AI-assisted tools, or a combination. It says AI-assisted tools will not be the sole basis for final recipient selections. The foundation makes the final award decisions.
Keep the application in your own voice
The official terms require applicants’ own experiences, ideas and voice. They allow limited generative AI help with organization, clarity or grammar, but prohibit using it to generate or substantially write the response or invent experiences. Applicants must disclose whether they used those tools and describe the assistance.
That is especially important for students seeking help with an essay. A trusted adult can help a student understand the question, but the story itself must remain the student’s work. The terms also contain rules about copyrighted material, other people’s likenesses and the foundation’s rights to use submitted materials. Applicants should read them before uploading anything.
The FAQ says submissions cannot be edited after they are sent. Proofreading, checking the video length or word count, and reviewing the final upload before submitting are therefore useful steps.
What an award can cover
Scholarship funds are for qualified education expenses, including tuition, required fees, books and course-specific supplies. They cannot be used to repay student loans. The FAQ says funds become available beginning in fall 2027 and may be used for the 2027-28 academic year and beyond while the recipient remains eligible.
Recipients are expected to be announced in spring 2027. Students should therefore treat this as a future education-funding opportunity, not money that will arrive in time to cover an immediate bill this fall.
Returning scholars have another route
The renewal program allows eligible previous recipients to seek up to three additional awards, for a maximum of four altogether. Renewal is not automatic, and the amount can change.
Returning applicants use an invitation code and must meet requirements that include enrollment in an accredited program and good academic standing. The renewal page has no age limit, unlike the new-applicant program. It also includes rules about using earlier awards, so returning scholars should check that page rather than relying only on the new-applicant summary.
Students ready to begin can use the official application portal. Technical help and accessibility requests can be directed to tacobell@mykaleidoscope.com. There is time to prepare a thoughtful application, and no purchase is required.
