McDonald’s Modifies Latino Scholarship Program Amid Legal Challenges
In response to a lawsuit from the American Alliance for Equal Rights, McDonald’s announced changes to its long-standing HACER National Scholarship Program. The scholarship, which has been supporting students with at least one Latino parent since 1985, will now be open to applicants who can demonstrate a commitment to the Latino community, regardless of their ethnic background.
The American Alliance for Equal Rights, led by conservative activist Edward Blum, filed the lawsuit on January 12. Blum is known for his successful challenges against affirmative action in college admissions. The organization targets initiatives that consider race or ethnicity in their criteria.
Following a settlement with the alliance, McDonald’s confirmed that the scholarship is still available for this year’s applicants, extending the application deadline from February 6 to March 6. Over 3,000 students have already applied for the scholarship this year, according to the Chicago-based company.
“McDonald’s has wisely agreed to end this discriminatory scholarship program,” said Blum. “It is a shame that over many years thousands of students were shut out of this program because they were not the preferred ethnicity.”
McDonald’s joins several other companies in revising diversity initiatives after the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting the use of race in college admissions. In January, McDonald’s announced it would discontinue specific diversity goals for senior leadership and halt a program encouraging suppliers to enhance diversity training and representation.
Despite these changes, McDonald’s emphasized its commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. In an open letter, McDonald’s senior leadership reaffirmed the belief that a diverse workforce is a competitive advantage. The company aims to maintain support for a diverse range of employees, suppliers, and franchisees, although its diversity team will now be known as the Global Inclusion Team.
McDonald’s has pledged to continue reporting demographic information as part of its commitment to transparency and inclusion.
