Every year, McDonald’s awards scholarship money to a select group of students from all 50 states who work in McDonald’s brand restaurants. Winners are selected based upon their academic achievements, community involvement and job performance. An independent panel of educators reviews all completed applications and selects winners.

McDonald's provides English as a Second Language (ESL) classes that teach managers and crew the English they need to communicate effectively and confidently with customers, staff and in their lives outside of McDonald's not only does McDonald's cover tuition costs for English Under the Arches, employees are paid their hourly wage for time spent in class.  

McDonald's offers the nationally-accredited Career Online High School (COHS) program to eligible restaurant crew and managers employed by McDonald's. Because COHS is an online program, eligible employees are able to work at a pace that fits their lifestyle and where it is most convenient for them to obtain their diploma. The program includes an academic coach and McDonald's covers the cost of the program through upfront tuition assistance, saving employees the program fee of $1,295