McDonald's HACER National Scholarship

Seniors with at least one parent of Hispanic or Latino heritage compete for about 30 tiered awards running from $5,000 to $100,000, with the largest paid across four years of college. Judges weigh grades, community involvement, financial need, and a personal statement, and applicants must disclose the other scholarship programs they have applied to. Any two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational school qualifies as long as enrollment is full time the following academic year, and DACA recipients and DREAMers may apply. Applications typically open in October and close in early February; semifinalists hear back around mid-February and are asked for their FAFSA Submission Summary, and winners are notified in late spring. The exact closing date shifts by a week or two each cycle, so confirm it on the McDonald's page.

How hard is the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
• Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
• Fewer rivalsRestricted by racial or ethnic background
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
• More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Open to high school seniors
• ✓Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card), or DACA/Dreamer students
• ✓For students who identify as Hispanic or Latino

What the application takes

• Essay required. The prompt centers on personal leadership.
• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is February 5, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 5 each year. Applications open October. The close date has landed between February 5 and February 24 in recent cycles, so treat early February as the working target and verify on the McDonald's site.

Applications open

October 2026

Semifinalists notified, FAFSA summary requested

Mid-February 2027

Application closes

February 5, 2027

Winners notified

May to June 2027

Common questions about the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship

More identity & background

• AAIA Native Scholarship
  $3,000 (varies by year)
• AISES Scholarships
  $1,500 - $20,000 (varies by scholarship)
• APIA Scholarship
  $2,500 - $20,000
• CBC Spouses Education Scholarship
  $2,500 - $20,000 (one-time)
• Cobell Scholarship
  Varies; recent awards up to $12,000
• Connecticut Minority Teacher Incentive Program
  Up to $5,000/yr for two years, plus $2,500/yr loan reimbursement for up to four years teaching

Lists this award appears on

• Scholarships With February Deadlines