• by Teresa Buyikian , April 17, 2024

Many QSRs have some sort of scholarship program for their workers, but Chick-fil-A broke its own records in 2024 by awarding over $26 million in educational scholarships to restaurant team members.

Chick-fil-A has run its scholarship program for over 50 years, and 2024 marks the highest annual investment by the company. Team members apply or are recommended for the scholarships  by local owners-operators of Chick-fil-A restaurants across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada,

"Creating greater access to education is one of the best ways Chick-fil-A serves communities," said Andrew T. Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, in a release.

Cathy himself surprised 14 Chick-fil-A Team Members with their scholarship awards in person at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country.

Of the awarded money, $26.44 million in total for 2024, 14 team ,embers were selected to receive a scholarship of $25,000 each and over 14,000 across 48 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada were selected to receive scholarships of $1,000 or $2,500.

More than 105,000 Chick-fil-A team members have received over $191 million in scholarships since the program began in 1973. The chain conducted a survey in which it found that among scholarship recipients, 16% were first-generation college students.

The scholarships are applicable for any area of study at an institution of the recipient's choice, including two- or four-year colleges and universities, online programs, or vocational-technical schools.” There is also no employment tenure required; applicants can apply at any time as long as they are part or full-time employees no matter how long they’ve worked for the chain.

Chick-fil-A has set a goal to “impact more than 50,000 Team Member lives through education opportunities between 2020-2025,” per the release.