Burger King Scholars Program
Burger King Foundation
A widely accessible scholarship for high school seniors based on GPA, work experience, activities, financial need, and community service, including larger James W. McLamore WHOPPER awards.
Who should apply
High school seniors living in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, or Canada who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited post-secondary program, plus Burger King employees and their spouses/partners/dependent children. A 2.0+ GPA is required for the general track.
Eligibility
- Living in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, or Canada
- General track: high school senior graduating in 2026 (or a past recipient in college)
- General track: cumulative high school GPA of 2.0+ on a 4.0 scale
- Plan to enroll full-time at an accredited two- or four-year college or vocational/technical school
- Employee tracks: BK Corporation/franchisee employees, their spouses/partners, and dependent children
- James W. McLamore WHOPPER track: U.S./Canadian citizens, seniors applying to four-year schools, 3.5+ unweighted GPA, leadership, work experience, and financial need
What you get
- Individual awards from $1,000 to $60,000
- James W. McLamore WHOPPER Scholarship: up to three $60,000 awards/year
- Nancy McLamore Scholarship: one $20,000 award; King Awards: up to seven $15,000
- Hometown Scholarships: two $10,000; Regional Awards: up to fifteen $5,000
- Many $1,000 awards distributed by location/franchisee
What the application involves
- Online portal (burgerking.scholarsapply.org) — create an account
- Current high school or college transcript (unofficial accepted)
- A list of work experience and school/community involvement
- Family financial information (most recent tax form recommended) to document need
- Recommendation letters generally not required; essays and test scores not listed as general requirements
Application tips
- Apply early in the Oct 15 – Dec 15 window — the cycle closes once 30,000 applications are received.
- Have your transcript and a parent's most recent tax form ready before starting.
- Selection weighs academics, activities/work, and need roughly equally — present all three.
- Keep a detailed record of community service, leadership, and work hours.
- Save your portal login and review your application before submitting.
Good to know
Administered by Scholarship America. General-track selection is weighted ~equally across academics, activities/work, and need. Awards are NOT renewable, but past recipients may reapply (up to four awards). 2026–2027: opens Oct 15, 2025, closes when 30,000 apps received or by Dec 15, 2025; notifications May 2026.