In the fall semester of 2026, John Carroll will join 26 other universities as an Evans Scholarship Foundation partner. This scholarship, created by the Western Golf Association (WGA) and golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930, provides full, four-year academic and housing scholarships to student golf caddies.
The interest for this scholarship was mutual between the WGA and JCU, and the partnership was facilitated by the chair of the board of directors, Bill Donnelly.
Mike Andelbrandt, director of Admission at JCU, said “This is a huge win for the John Carroll Community” and “we should be very grateful.”
To be considered, interested students must caddie at a golf club for at least two years and complete an application, which is due in October, and then participate in an interview, which occurs between November and January.
Once selected, the Evans Scholars Foundation works as a ‘middle-man’ to place students at a partnered university. The scholars will rank their choice of schools, and the foundation will use this ranking to determine where the caddie will be given a scholarship, which is an estimated $125,000 over four years. For students looking at state schools, the caddie can only receive a scholarship at a school in the state where they caddie. Students looking at private schools can attend any of the six partner schools, including Howard University, Marquette University, Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, The University of Notre Dame and soon, John Carroll University.
Mike Scanlan, vice president of University Advancement, shared, “We see this partnership as mutually beneficial because John Carroll becomes the smallest institution in the Evans Scholars portfolio, and those scholarships are typically awarded to students who can’t otherwise afford college. Not all of them want a large state institution, so we see our place in the Evans Scholars program as welcoming students who are looking for a smaller community.”
“The Evans Scholars national outcomes are very much in line with John Carroll University’s outcomes,” shared Scanlan.
One unique aspect of this scholarship is that once the school year starts, Evans Scholars live in community with one another. At JCU, this will look like a keyed off floor of one of the dorms exclusively for the scholars. In addition to living in the community, JCU staff members will mentor these students, creating a built-in support system.
The recruiting goal is to have about 12 new scholars per year, with about 50 scholars at JCU after four years. While the scholarship is open to everyone, it is targeted to underrepresented and first-generation students. As of now, 40% of Evans Scholars are first-generation college students.
Interested students can learn more about the scholarship opportunity through the WGA’s website.
