Taco Bell expands 'Tacos and Tuition' employee education program
One of the nation’s largest quick-serve restaurant chains is rolling out new benefits for its employees.
Taco Bell has announced the launch of expanded leadership programs, education pathways and benefits for its more than 250,000 employees in the United States. For the first time, Taco Bell's signature "Tacos and Tuition" education benefit has been extended to employees of all levels at participating franchise locations, unlocking greater levels of access to flexible education opportunities.
Previously available only to company-owned restaurant team members and corporate employees, the benefit now reaches more employees than ever before through Taco Bell's new partnership with InStride.
Participating Taco Bell employees have access to more than 3,000 online programs and courses from top institutions, ranging from ESL and GED programs to bachelor's and master's degrees. The program does not require any up-front out-of-pocket costs for learners, removing financial barriers and allowing Taco Bell employees to focus fully on their education. Select program partners also recognize on-the-job training as credit towards degrees, representing more than $10,000 in tuition value for participating employees.
Since launch, more than 1,100 Taco Bell stores have enrolled in the program, with additional franchisees joining each month. The chain says that Tacos & Tuition has driven 73% retention on the front line, and managers enrolled in the program are seeing 1.5x higher retention rates.
Taco Bell has continued to evolve its leadership and education opportunities over the past year through initiatives including:
- theLeap: A new leadership development program for high-performing restaurant general managers and area coaches that elevates and prepares rising talent for their next role within Taco Bell. Over 150 leaders across the Taco Bell system are currently enrolled in the six-month program.
- Live Más Scholarship: This year, the Taco Bell Foundation awarded a record $14 million in Live Más Scholarships to over 1,000 students including Team Members – bringing the total awards to nearly $64 million since the program's inception a decade ago. Open to both Team Members and fans, the passion-based scholarship is now accepting applications for 2026 at TacoBellFoundation.org.
In addition to education benefits, select Taco Bell restaurants are piloting enhanced hospitality service models that provide workers with “immersive training” designed to foster a more consistent, elevated guest experience. Taco Bell says some locations are seeing up to 3% higher transaction growth in certain markets, alongside increased guest satisfaction and growing interest in hospitality-focused roles such as the Live Más Café Bellrista position, which has already received thousands of applicants across various locations this year.
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Taco Bell says its workforce initiatives are paying off. Across U.S. restaurants, top performing Taco Bell employees are promoted to their next role in under a year on average, with 67% of restaurant leadership roles at company-owned restaurants in 2025 filled through internal promotion. Nearly 25% of company-owned restaurant general managers have been with the brand for over 15 years, with the average general manager serving a 10+ year tenure.
"I started my career on the frontline of restaurants, and I've seen firsthand how the right support can open doors that once felt out of reach," said Jamie Harrison, global chief people & culture officer at Taco Bell. "No matter how long a Team Member is with us, we want their time at Taco Bell to be meaningful. We're proud to invest in their future, regardless of where their path takes them.”
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Taco Bell operates more than 8,140 stores across the United States. Taco Bell is part of the Yum Brands family of restaurants.
