Chick-fil-A adds a second $1,500 scholarship window

Chick-fil-A restaurant employees will have two chances a year to apply for a $1,500 scholarship under a change the company announced October 1. The addition of a spring window to its Remarkable Futures program gives eligible team members the opportunity to receive up to $3,000 annually.

The company’s announcement covers restaurant teams in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Chick-fil-A, Inc. sponsors the program, which Scholarship America administers. Applications for the separate $25,000 scholarship remain limited to the fall window.

The employee’s deadline comes first#

Fall applications close October 27, 2026; recommendations are due November 11. The next application window runs April 1 to May 13, 2027, with recommendations due May 27, according to the Team Member resource hub.

Awards do not renew automatically; each cycle requires an application. Submission triggers an email to the Operator or Interim Manager to begin the recommendation. Scholarship America selects the $1,500 recipients.

Operators keep responsibility for recommendations#

In its September 9 Operator training, Scholarship America explains that Operators can designate up to three secondary administrators. Both roles receive program communications. Secondary administrators can supply recommendations and employment-verification information, but only Operators can submit it.

Operators can add, edit or remove secondary administrators. Those administrators cannot appoint others or apply for the scholarship.

The Operator hub asks Operators to write and submit recommendations.

What the $1,500 application covers#

The company’s eligibility page sets a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for U.S. applicants. Canadian and Puerto Rican transcripts are reviewed separately. Applicants upload a transcript and describe care and service during the preceding 12 months. Paid activities do not count as care and service, the applicant FAQ says.

The local recommendation addresses professional achievement, such as leadership, work ethic, teamwork and other contributions. Applicants must be employees at an eligible restaurant when they apply and when awards are announced, and remain team members when the award is presented.

The scholarship serves students enrolled in, or planning, undergraduate or graduate study. It can support any field at an accredited institution where the employee has a financial obligation, including two- and four-year colleges, online programs and vocational-technical schools.

How the support reaches the school#

Chick-fil-A describes scholarship funding as upfront assistance that can go toward tuition without a reimbursement requirement. The FAQ says payment goes to the recipient’s home address, payable to the school. The notification letter identifies the eligible academic terms.

The training calendar pairs fall 2026 applications with the Fall 2027 cycle for fall and winter study, and spring 2027 applications with the Spring 2028 cycle for winter, spring and summer study. Awarding and disbursement are separate stages.

Employees also have a separate tuition-discount option through Scholarship America’s Tuition Reduction Network, powered by AllCampus. The network’s Chick-fil-A landing page describes discounts applied to the price per credit hour or course when a student enrolls through AllCampus.

Its directory includes online programs at different levels, from an undergraduate certificate to associate and master’s degrees. AllCampus also offers individual guidance from education benefits specialists to help prospective students navigate program options.