McDonald’s Scholarship for Employees

Do you work at McDonald’s and want to pursue higher education? Then read this to find out how to qualify and apply for the McDonald’s scholarship for employees.

It’s no news that multinational restaurant chains like McDonald’s and Burger King offer scholarships to employees and non-employees to assist them with the cost of college. My recently published blog on McDonald’s Scholarship Application provides full details on the scholarships that the food chain offers to its employees and high school senior students going to college.

You may be wondering what makes that blog different from the one that you are currently reading. Well, there is a difference. The McDonald’s employee-based scholarship and the McDonald’s scholarship for employees are two different scholarships. The former is a scholarship directly from McDonald’s while the latter is a tuition assistance program offered through the Archways to Opportunity program created by McDonald’s.

McDonald’s and its independent franchisees commit to helping employees further their education and achieve their dreams. To assist individuals who work at a company-owned or independently franchised restaurant, McDonald’s created Archways to Opportunity.

The Archways to Opportunity is a comprehensive education strategy with multiple programs that give people an opportunity to grow and learn – no matter where they are on their journey. Included in the multiple programs are:

  • Improving English skills
  • Providing tuition assistance
  • Earning a high school diploma
  • Working toward a college degree.

All of these programs are available to McDonald’s employees and the employees of participating independent franchises.

Now, this blog concentrates solely on the tuition assistance program which you may have already known as the McDonald’s scholarship for employees. I think it has all come together now for you to understand better. You must understand a scholarship before applying for it.

Also, the program can be referred to as McDonald’s tuition assistance for employees or the Archways tuition assistance program for employees. If you see where I used any of these phrases interchangeably, do not get confused, they all mean the same thing.

Just before we get into the full details, you may also be eligible for scholarships offered by the National Restaurant Association and for other scholarship opportunities you may find on our blog.

Now, let’s continue…

McDonald’s Scholarship for Employees

McDonald’s Scholarship for Employees

Lack of finance is one of the major challenges of going to college and earning a degree. Many have dropped out of college and are unable to complete and earn their degree due to this same challenge while some cannot even go at all due to the same issue of finance.

Money plays a huge role in achieving your academic and career goals, without it, you cannot do much. Thankfully, scholarships are provided to offset the cost of college for deserving students and support them to achieve their full academic potential.

One of these scholarships is the McDonald’s scholarship for employees provided by McDonald’s through its Archways to Opportunity program to support employees of McDonald’s who want to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution such as college, university, technical school, vocational school, business school, graduate school, or post-graduate school.

The McDonald’s tuition assistance for employees will cover eligible course expenses (tuition and course fees) that are not covered by scholarships.

How the McDonald’s Tuition Assistance for Employees Work

Here is a breakdown of how this tuition assistance works so that you can have a better understanding of how and where it can be applied in your higher education studies:

  • If you receive financial aid that you must repay, for example, a student loan, then you are eligible to use the Archways tuition assistance to cover eligible course expenses to avoid out-of-pocket costs.
  • If you receive a grant or scholarship that covers only 50% of your tuition then you are eligible to use Archways tuition assistance to cover the remaining 50% of your tuition that you would have to pay out of your pocket.
  • If you receive a scholarship or grant from another source that covers 100% of your tuition, since grants and scholarships are not repaid, it means you will not be eligible to use the Archways tuition assistance because there is no out-of-pocket cost that you need to pay for your courses.

Eligibility Criteria for McDonald’s Scholarship for Employees

Now, McDonald’s tuition assistance for employees has two tracks namely:

  • Owner/Operator Employee
  • McDonald’s Operation Company (McOpCo) Employee

Both tracks have different eligibility criteria so we will look at them one after the other, let’s proceed.

Eligibility Criteria for Owner/Operator Employee

Under this track, there are two components;

1.     Full-time restaurant manager or staff of a participating Franchise Owner/Operator

The award under this component is $3,000 in tuition assistance each year, and to be eligible for it, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Operator must participate in the Archways to Opportunity program.
  • Work a minimum of 30 hours per week for that Franchise Owner/Operator.
  • You are in good standing as determined by the Franchise Owner/Operator

2.     Restaurant crew (including maintenance), part-time manager, or part-time office staff of a participating Franchise Owner/Operator

The award under this component is $2,500 in tuition assistance each year, and to be eligible for it, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Operator must participate in the Archways to Opportunity program.
  • You are employed by the same Franchise Owner/Operator for at least 90 cumulative days as of the time of the tuition assistance request application completion.
  • You work an average of 15 hours per week for that Franchise Owner/Operator.
  • You are in good standing as determined by the Franchise Owner/Operator

Eligibility Criteria for McDonald’s Operation Company (McOpCo) Employee

There are also two components under this track;

1.     McOpCo full-time Store Manager Trainee, Certified Swing Manager, Department Manager, or General Manager

The award under this component is $5,250 in tuition assistance, to be eligible you must meet the following criteria:

  • You have a performance rating of “significant performance” or better, maintained throughout the course/program.
  • Notify your supervisor of your participation

2.     McOpCo restaurant Crew, Floor Supervisor, Shift Manager Trainee, Primary Maintenance, or other part-time employee

The award under this component is $2,500 in tuition assistance each year, and to be eligible for it, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are employed by McDonald’s for at least 90 cumulative days.
  • You work an average of 15 hours per week or more.
  • You have a performance rating of “significant performance” or better, maintained throughout the course/program.

How to Apply for McDonald’s Scholarship for Employees

If you meet the eligibility criteria of any of the components outlined above, then it is time to apply. It is recommended that you apply for the scholarship 45 days before your course starts. Before you begin the application, you need to gather the following information as it will be required during your application:

  • Your personal information, including the last 4 digits of your SSN.
  • Your employee information: your start date, current role, and average hours worked.
  • Your restaurant address, you will be able to search this by zip code.
  • Your school and official start and end dates of your upcoming session.
  • Confirm if you are receiving scholarships or grants that do not need to be repaid.
  • Attending CTU? Ensure you know your course details and your CTU student I.D.

Once you have all the data above, then it is time to apply.

Step 1: Account Creation

Go to the scholarship application website to complete your online request for tuition assistance. If you are a new user, create a new account but if you already have an account simply log into your existing account. Use the store locator to search for the restaurant address where you currently work.

Complete all the registration questions with accurate information. Providing inaccurate information can cause delays. Ensure that the restaurant address you selected is current then click “Continue” to enter your EdAssist homepage.

Explore your new account and take advantage of the live chat to get personalized assistance if you have any questions.

Step 2: Submit your Application for Tuition Assistance

To do this, click on “New Application” to proceed with your application but if you click on it but are unable to proceed with your application it means you do not meet the eligibility requirements for tuition assistance.

You can verify the employment information you supplied is correct in your profile, including hire date, average hours worked, and role.  If your information is inaccurate click on “Edit” and proceed to correct your profile details. If all employment information is accurate under your profile but you still have eligibility questions, reach out to your Owner Operator for further assistance.

If you can proceed with your application, ensure you have the school-specific information you gathered and complete all required fields.

You will fill in your area of study, and employer program, select your education provider which is your school, and enter the correct start and end dates for your course.

If you are attending CTU, click on Tuition Assistance Program at CTU. CTU will auto-populate as your provider, and you must enter your student ID. Enter your course start and end dates, it is critical that you enter this accurately as CTU runs on 5-week terms. You can click on the CTU calendar to confirm the official dates of each session.

Next, view your remaining tuition balance for the benefit year and proceed. But if you are attending CTU, you must enter your course information, the amount will auto-populate as $0. Final amounts will be adjusted and visible upon direct billing with CTU. Ensure all courses enrolled are added.

Next, identify Y/N (Yes or No) if you plan to receive grants, scholarships, or discounts. If you select yes (Y), enter the scholarship/grant type and amount. This information will be verified when your school invoices Bright Horizons EdAssist for payment.

Tuition Assistance awards will be paid for eligible tuition and course fees not covered by scholarships or grants. Click “I Agree” to the Participant, FERPA, and Letter of Credit terms. Next digitally sign your application. Review all entered information to be accurate. You can edit any details before finalizing your application by clicking “Submit Application”.

This is your final step to requesting tuition assistance.

What Happens After Submitting Your Application

Here is what happens to your application after you have submitted it:

  • Bright Horizons EdAssist will review your application to ensure it meets policy compliance.
  • Once approved by Bright Horizons your request will be sent to your Owner Operator for approval.
  • It can take up to 3 days for Bright Horizons EdAssist to notify your Owner Operator that your request is pending their approval.
  • Upon Operator approval, a Letter of Credit (LOC) will be emailed to you automatically. If you did not receive the email, it will be available on your account homepage under “Action Needed”.
    • Important: You must provide the LOC to your school as soon as possible to start the direct bill process. EdAssist does not send this on your behalf.Upon receipt of the LOC, you can begin classes and your school will invoice Bright Horizons. This typically happens after adding a week as many students change their course schedules.Bright Horizons will review the invoice against the program policy and issue an award for eligible courses and tuition fees not covered by grants or scholarships.
    • A check is cut and mailed directly to your school on your behalf. You will receive an email confirmation when payment is officially made with the total amount of the award.
  • If your school does not participate in direct bill and therefore does not accept the LOC, connect with the EdAssist support team using the Live Chat feature found on the EdAssist home page.  The support team will help you upload your itemized tuition bill to get your tuition paid.

There is also another series of processes that you need to complete after you have completed your courses.

What Happens After Completing Your Courses

After completing your courses, do the following:

  • Log back into your Bright Horizons Account homepage and upload your grades/transcripts.
    • You can access your approved application by clicking the “History tab” found on the top of your homepage. Follow the prompts to add your transcript/grades to the “supporting documentation” section of your approved request.
  • You must provide satisfactory completion of courses to start another application.
    • Questions about grade requirements? Review the policy document located in the “Using Your Benefits Section”.
  • Once your grades have been submitted and reviewed, your application will be considered complete. This will unlock your next application.
    • If you have an unsuccessful grade, you will be suspended from receiving additional tuition assistance for the remainder of the benefit year.

If you are unsure of where your request is in the process, log into your account and review the status on your homepage.

Key Takeaways for McDonald’s Scholarship for Employees

The information here is equally important for your application, review it carefully:

  1. Your session starts and end dates entered on your application must be accurate to your school schedule. Failure to enter accurate session dates will result in a delay in the award.
  2. Applications can be submitted 45 days before a course start date. If you attempt to submit before 45 days your application will be placed in a pending status. You will need to log back in to resubmit your pending application saved under “action needed” within that 45-day timeframe.
  3. To get tuition assistance, your request must be approved by your Franchise Owner/Operator.
  4. You shall cease being eligible to receive benefits under this program upon the date on which you terminate employment or are discharged from employment.
  5. Once approved you will receive a 2-page Letter of Credit (LOC) via email that you must provide to your school as soon as possible. EdAssist does not send this on your behalf.
  6. A Letter of Credit (LOC) acts as tuition and starts the direct bill process with Bright Horizons, EdAssist. Each LOC is only good for the courses taken within the approved session. If for some reason you do not receive the LOC via email you can access it directly on your EdAssist account. Your LOC is valid for 90 days after the issue date.
  7. Upon submission of the LOC, your school will invoice Bright Horizons. After review, a payment will be made via check and mailed directly to your school.
  8. If your school does not participate in direct billing and therefore does not accept the LOC, follow this process.  Connect with the EdAssist support team using the Live Chat feature found on the EdAssist home page. The support team will assist you in uploading your itemized bill directly to get your tuition paid.
  9. If you’ve already paid for your courses still submit the LOC to your school. Once your tuition assistance is paid via EdAssist direct bill your school can reimburse you out of pocket payments in acceptance of the check.
  10. After you’ve completed your course, you must upload a transcript showing satisfactory completion of your previously awarded courses.
  11. You can access your approved application in the history section found on your homepage. Follow the prompts to add grades/transcripts to the “supporting documentation” section of your approved request.
  12. If you do not provide acceptable grades, you will be unable to submit an additional request for tuition assistance. If you have an unsuccessful grade, you will be suspended from receiving additional tuition assistance for that benefit year.
  13. You have until December 31st each year to submit your application for courses that end in that same year.

Conclusion

As an employee of McDonald’s, this tuition assistance is an opportunity for you to get free funding for your college education. You have this blog to guide you through the process of applying for the scholarship.

I will also recommend that you look for other scholarships to apply to so that you can gather enough funds for college. I have provided a list of other scholarships that you can apply for in the recommendations below.

Recommendations