The Chick Evans Scholars Foundation administers the nation’s largest privately funded college scholarship program, providing full tuition and housing grants to deserving caddies. Since the first two Scholars enrolled at Northwestern University in 1930, over 8,500 young men and women have graduated from the program. This year, 820 Evans Scholars are enrolled at 19 universities across the country. At 14 of those universities the Evans Scholars Foundation owns and maintains an Evans Scholarship House where the Evans Scholars reside. Their tuition and housing grants are renewable for up to four years, representing a value from nearly $40,000 to over $150,000. While the program is national in scope, its focus is principally in the Midwest.

Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr.

The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship program was established by and named for Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr., who won 54 tournaments over a competitive career that spanned four decades. He received worldwide fame in 1916 when he won both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open. When he decided to retain his amateur status, he used his golf earnings to establish the Charles Evans Jr. Trust in 1928 to assist golf caddies. The Western Golf Association became the program’s sponsor in 1930. A subsequent trust agreement, signed in 1935, stipulated that net income and principal shall be used to provide scholarships and other educational opportunities for caddies at institutions designated by the Scholarship Committee of the Western Golf Association.

Program Growth

The program grew dramatically following World War II. In 1950, there were only 84 Scholars enrolled. By the end of the decade, the number of Scholars in school increased to 440, and Evans Scholars Scholarship Houses had been established at Illinois (1951), Michigan (1952), Wisconsin (1953), Marquette and Michigan State (1955), and Minnesota (1958). By 1970, 823 students were receiving awards and Scholarship Houses had been added at Ohio State (1962), Colorado and Purdue (1967), Missouri (1968) and Indiana (1969). Houses were subsequently established at Miami of Ohio (1974) and Northern Illinois University (1987). For the last two decades, the number of grants in force in any given year has averaged about 820. As the program grew, more than a dozen other regional and state golf associations became co-sponsors and affiliates.

Selection Criteria and Process

There are four primary criteria for scholarship grants. (1) Candidates, who are nominated by their golf clubs, must have a strong caddie record, with a minimum of two years of outstanding service. (2) Candidates must have an excellent high school academic record, achieving above a B average in college preparatory classes. Applicants must also provide ACT college test scores to further determine academic potential. (3) Candidates must demonstrate significant financial need. Over the years, the Evans Scholars Foundation has assisted thousands of young people from families with very modest financial means. (4) Finally, letters of recommendation from club and high school officials attest to the applicant’s high moral character. Finalists are personally interviewed at one of a series of Selection Meetings, co-hosted by the Western Golf Association and its affiliates.

Outstanding Retention and Graduation Rate

The demanding criteria and careful selection process contribute to the excellent academic progress and graduation rate of Evans Scholars. More than two-thirds of the Scholars maintain a B average or better, and the graduation rate is 90 percent, compared to a 50 percent national average.

Scholarship House Living

At 14 universities, Evans Scholars live and work together in a Foundation owned Scholarship House. Through this cooperative living environment, Evans Scholars acquire poise and develop leadership capabilities and communications skills. The majority of the Scholarship Houses are co-educational. The sense of community that is fostered through group living enables each of the 14 houses to rank at or near the top in both academic and extracurricular activities in competition with other campus organizations. Scholars pay an annual housing fee, and all Scholars participate in maintenance of their Scholarship House.

Management and Financial Affairs

The Western Golf Association, founded in 1899 to conduct tournaments and promote the general interests of golf, has sponsored the Evans Scholars Program since its inception. There are approximately 320 WGA Directors from 16 Midwest and Pacific Northwest states. They receive no compensation or reimbursement for expenses incurred in WGA-related activities.

The Evans Scholars Foundation is golf’s favorite charity with more than 100,000 annual contributors. Established in 1950, the Par Club has been the primary funding source. Each year, more than 35,000 golfers donate $200 or more; they are solicited by Par Club volunteers at golf and country clubs nationwide. The WGA also conducts a Bag Tag program. Modest bag tag fees are assessed through the WGA’s 500 member clubs. Last year, the combined operating budget of both organizations was $9 million. The Foundation is a charitable and educational 501(c)(3) organization under the IRS code.

WGA tournaments — the BMW Championship, a PGA TOUR event, the Western Amateur and the Western Junior — rank among the most prestigious in their respective class. BMW Championship proceeds support the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Evans Scholars Alumni accept a growing responsibility for program funding. They raise more than $3 million annually and have raised more than $35 million cumulatively. Over 80 percent of the Alumni have made a contribution back to Evans Scholars Foundation through the Alumni Annual Fund.

To help ensure the future of the program and to provide a measure of protection against unforeseen financial emergencies, an endowment fund was established in 1989. It is named in memory of Roland F. "Mac" McGuigan, who served as the Foundation’s Educational Director for more than four decades.