McDonald’s El Paso Assists EPCC Students with Scholarships

El Paso, Texas, May 22, 2025 – Future El Paso Community College (EPCC) students were recipients of the McDonald’s El Paso Scholarship Program this week. This is the sixth collaboration between EPCC and local McDonald’s owner/operator Mr. Richard Castro, who developed an extraordinary initiative and source of academic opportunity for El Paso students, the McDonald’s El Paso Scholarships.

In an effort to achieve greater impact towards the higher education of El Paso students, McDonald’s El Paso continued its partnership with The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and EPCC. McDonald’s El Paso awarded $50,000 in scholarships to qualifying El Paso students who wish to attend UTEP or EPCC during the 2025-2026 academic school year. Thanks to a matching grant from the EPCC Foundation, 11 future EPCC students received scholarships totaling $3,264 for 12 credit hours per semester, which is full tuition and fees scholarships for one year covering their first year of college.

Furthermore, the renowned academic institutions have supported this initiative by matching the scholarship amount for a grand total of $100,000 in scholarships, attesting to their outstanding commitment to education and El Paso’s community.

“The initiative’s sole purpose is to provide financial support to local, dedicated students who don’t have the financial means to realize their academic goals and seek an opportunity to better their lives through education,” said Richard Castro, founder of the McDonald’s El Paso Scholarships program. “By partnering with UTEP and EPCC, we take this initiative to a whole new level, enabling the cause to cover the tuition of a student’s entire first academic year.”

“Earning a college degree is an important opportunity which will not only make a difference for the scholarship recipients, but also for their families and generations to come. With each college graduate our community grows stronger,” Dr. William Serrata, EPCC President, said. “Because of the generosity of Mr. Richard Castro and McDonald’s El Paso, these scholarships will ensure we have well-prepared graduates to lead us into the future. These scholarship funds are an investment in El Paso’s talent and will cultivate an educated and skilled workforce in our region.”

Since 2019 and the inception of this partnership with McDonald’s El Paso and the EPCC Foundation, 71 incoming EPCC students have received scholarships totaling more than $227,000.

“EPCC and the EPCC Foundation are proud to partner with Mr. Richard Castro and McDonald’s El Paso to make these scholarships possible for local students,” Dr. Dolores Gross, Executive Director, Resource Development & EPCC Foundation, said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the students and their families to begin their higher education journey without debt, gain momentum, and to achieve their dreams with this generous support. We extend a huge thanks to Richard Castro and McDonald’s El Paso for this partnership, and congratulations to these new EPCC students. Their college futures begin now!”

“We had the privilege of celebrating EPCC’s scholarship recipients beginning their higher education journeys.” Vanessa Aguilar, EPCC Foundation Vice-Chair, added. “The love, pride, and enthusiasm that filled the room are an incredible reminder of the power of scholarships. These scholarships are so much more than just checks. They are an opportunity for these bright students to hear “We believe in you! You deserve this! Keep up the good work!”

Earlier this month, Richard Castro, a McDonald’s franchise owner since 1983, was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters from Texas State University for his philanthropic commitment to education, community service and leadership.

For more information on the EPCC Foundation, please visit: https://www.epcc.edu/Administration/Foundation