Deadline alert
The Evans Scholarship application for the 2027-28 school year is due Sept. 30, including the High School Evaluation, transcript, test scores and Caddie Evaluation. The CSS Profile and FAFSA are due Oct. 15. Apply at WGAESF.org →
Every summer, thousands of teenagers show up at golf courses before sunrise, grab a bag and walk 18 holes for someone else. For a select group of them, that job turns into something most families can only dream about: a four-year college education with tuition and housing fully paid.
That's the Evans Scholarship, run by the Western Golf Association's Evans Scholars Foundation. It is the largest scholarship program for caddies in the country, and it has been sending hardworking kids to college since 1930. If you're a junior golfer, a caddie, or the parent of one, it may be the most valuable opportunity in the game that nobody told you about.
Here's everything you need to know: what the Evans Scholarship covers, the four requirements, what goes into the application, which universities you can attend, and how competitive it really is.
What Is the Evans Scholarship?
The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. It is renewable for four years, and scholarship directories value it at roughly $100,000 to $125,000 per recipient depending on the school.
What makes it different from almost any other scholarship is how Evans Scholars live. Recipients attend partner universities where they live together in community, most of them in dedicated Evans Scholarship Houses. Each chapter elects its own officers and runs its own social and service activities. The Foundation credits that support system for the program's 95 percent graduation rate.
Source: Western Golf Association / Evans Scholars Foundation.
Who Was Chick Evans?
Charles "Chick" Evans Jr. was one of the greatest amateur golfers in American history, and he started as a caddie himself at Edgewater Golf Club in Chicago. In 1916 he became the first player to win the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.
Evans never turned professional. Protective of his amateur status, he placed the royalties from a set of instructional golf recordings into a fund, and with the backing of the Western Golf Association, that money became the seed of the Evans Scholars Foundation in 1930. The first two Evans Scholars enrolled at Northwestern University that fall.
Nearly a century later, the same organization runs some of the biggest events in amateur golf, including the Western Amateur, Women's Western Amateur, Western Junior and Women's Western Junior, along with the PGA Tour's BMW Championship. Proceeds from those championships help fund the scholarships.
Evans Scholarship Requirements
The Scholarship Committee evaluates every applicant on four pillars. You need all four.
01 Strong caddie record
Caddied regularly and successfully for at least two years, and expected to caddie at your sponsoring club the year you apply.
02 Excellent academics
Junior year of high school completed with above a B average in college-prep courses. ACT and/or SAT strongly encouraged.
03 Demonstrated financial need
The scholarship is need-based, documented through the CSS Profile, FAFSA and family financial statement.
04 Outstanding character
Character, integrity and leadership, shown through recommendations, your caddie record and the finalist interview.
Evans Scholarship Deadline and Timeline
Applications are accepted at the beginning of a student's senior year of high school, and this cycle the Foundation also accepts applications from 2026 high school graduates. Most scholarships are awarded during the applicant's senior year.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Aug. 1 | Application opens online |
| Sept. 30 | Application due, including High School Evaluation, transcript, test scores and Caddie Evaluation |
| Oct. 1 | 2027-28 CSS Profile and FAFSA open |
| Oct. 15 | CSS Profile and FAFSA due, plus all remaining supporting documents and letters of recommendation |
| Late fall | Scholarship Committee review begins; finalists are interviewed |
| April 1 | All decisions finalized |
What's in the Evans Scholarship Application: Step by Step
The WGA's official 2026 application packet breaks the process into three steps. Start at wgaesf.org, click the Scholarships tab, then "Apply Now."
Step 1
Complete the online application
- Create an account with your name, email, club and high school.
- Personal, family and academic information, including parent and sibling details and extracurriculars.
- Applicant essay: two pages, typed and double-spaced, covering your background, goals, what you expect from college and why you're qualified. The WGA asks for both personal experiences and experiences from your time as a caddie, with specific examples.
- ACT/SAT scores (strongly encouraged): Evans Scholars Foundation ACT code 1026, SAT code 0153.
- Family financial information: a short narrative from a parent or guardian on the family's finances and any extraordinary expenses, plus the front pages of your parents' 2024 and 2025 federal tax returns (Form 1040 only) and their most recent pay stubs.
- Status checklist: log in regularly to confirm every required document has arrived.
Step 2
Submit supporting documents
| Document | Due |
|---|---|
| High School Evaluation, transcript and ACT/SAT Includes applicant assessment questions completed by your school | Sept. 30 |
| Caddie Evaluation Completed through your sponsoring club | Sept. 30 |
| 2027-28 CSS Profile Opens Oct. 1. CSS code 0153. Estimate 2026 and 2027 family income. Fee required. | Oct. 15 |
| 2027-28 FAFSA Submission Summary Opens Oct. 1. No FAFSA code; email or mail a copy of the summary showing your Student Aid Index (SAI). | Oct. 15 |
Step 3
Apply to your Evans universities
Admission is separate from the scholarship. Apply directly to the Evans school(s) for your state (see the table below) by early action if it's offered, otherwise by regular decision as early as possible. The Committee recommends early action, not early decision.
The WGA says applications receive full consideration only when the directions are followed accurately and completely. Questions go to applications@wgaesf.org or (847) 724-4600.
Evans Scholarship essay tips
- Lead with the bag. The prompt explicitly wants caddie experiences. A specific loop, a player you learned from or a tough day on the course says more than a list of accomplishments.
- Connect caddying to your goals. Show what the job taught you about work, responsibility and people, and where you want college to take you.
- Stay within two double-spaced pages, and have a teacher or counselor proofread before you submit.
- Talk to your caddie master early. The Caddie Evaluation comes from your sponsoring club and is due Sept. 30 with everything else.
Which Universities Can Evans Scholars Attend?
This is the part many families miss: the Evans Scholarship isn't good at any college. Scholars attend one of 29 partner universities, and applicants are expected to apply to, and be admitted by, the Evans school or schools assigned to their home state.
| If you live in | Apply to |
|---|---|
| Arizona, California, Nevada | Arizona State |
| Colorado | Colorado (Boulder) |
| Delaware | Delaware |
| Illinois | Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and Illinois Chicago |
| Indiana | Indiana and Purdue |
| Iowa | Iowa |
| Kansas | Kansas |
| Maryland | Maryland |
| Michigan | Michigan State and Michigan |
| Minnesota | Minnesota |
| Missouri | Missouri |
| New Jersey | Rutgers |
| Ohio | Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State |
| Oregon | Oregon |
| Pennsylvania | Penn State |
| South Carolina | South Carolina |
| Washington | Washington |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin and Minnesota |
| Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas | Kansas |
| Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee | Kansas and Miami (Ohio) |
| Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., West Virginia | Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina and Rutgers |
| New York and New England | Delaware, Rutgers and Maryland |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming | Kansas, Oregon and Washington |
| Canada | Washington |
Applicants may also apply to the program's private partner universities: Northwestern, Notre Dame, the University of Chicago, Marquette, Villanova, Howard and John Carroll. At schools without a Scholarship House, Evans Scholars live together in a designated residence hall. For the full, current list, see the Evans Scholars FAQ.
How Competitive Is the Evans Scholarship?
In 2025, 1,060 caddies applied and 380 scholarships were awarded for the 2026-27 academic year, which works out to roughly one in three applicants. The number of awards changes from year to year.
That's a far better ratio than most national scholarships of this size. But the pool is self-selecting. Everyone who applies has already put in two years of caddying and has the grades to clear the academic bar, so a complete, on-time application and a strong Caddie Evaluation are the baseline, not the differentiator.
How to Become a Caddie (If You're Not One Yet)
If you're a middle schooler or high school freshman reading this, the most important thing you can do is start caddying now. The two-year caddie requirement means most successful applicants begin by their sophomore summer at the latest.
- Find a club with a caddie program. The WGA's Caddie Program Locator lists participating clubs by area.
- Look into the Caddie Academy. The WGA's Caddie Academy is a summer program that places young people in caddie roles at host clubs, a path for kids who don't live near a club with a program.
- Show up and be reliable. The Caddie Evaluation reflects years of work. Consistency, attitude and effort are exactly what caddie masters remember.
Why It Matters for Junior Golfers
For competitive juniors, caddying is one of the best educations in the game. You learn course management by watching good players make decisions, you learn to read greens you'll never get paid to putt, and you get access to some of the best golf courses in the country. Many of the strongest amateur players came up carrying bags.
And the payoff doesn't have to be a golf scholarship. College golf roster spots are scarce, and athletic aid in the sport is limited. For a lot of junior golfers from working families, the Evans Scholarship is the most realistic path golf offers to a debt-free degree, whether they end up playing in college or not.
Evans Scholarship FAQ
What does the Evans Scholarship cover?
Full tuition and housing for four years at an Evans Scholars partner university.
When is the Evans Scholarship deadline?
The application is due Sept. 30. The CSS Profile and FAFSA, plus all remaining supporting documents, are due Oct. 15. Decisions are finalized by April 1.
Can recent high school graduates apply?
Yes. Applications are accepted at the start of senior year of high school, and the 2026 cycle also accepts applications from 2026 high school graduates.
How long do you have to caddie to get the Evans Scholarship?
At least two years, regularly and successfully, and you are expected to caddie at your sponsoring club during the year you apply.
What GPA do you need for the Evans Scholarship?
Applicants must complete their junior year of high school with above a B average in college-preparatory courses.
Is the ACT or SAT required?
The ACT and/or SAT are strongly encouraged.
How long is the Evans Scholarship essay?
Two pages, typed and double-spaced. It should include both personal experiences and experiences from your time as a caddie.
What are the Evans Scholars Foundation's ACT, SAT and CSS codes?
ACT code 1026, SAT code 0153 and CSS Profile code 0153. There is no FAFSA code; applicants send a copy of their FAFSA Submission Summary instead.
Can I use the Evans Scholarship at any college?
No. Evans Scholars attend one of 29 partner universities, and applicants are expected to apply to the school or schools designated for their home state.
Do girls qualify for the Evans Scholarship?
Yes. The program is open to young men and women who meet the requirements.
Who runs the Evans Scholarship?
The Evans Scholars Foundation, overseen by the Western Golf Association in Glenview, Ill. Application questions go to applications@wgaesf.org.
Keep reading
Requirements and dates are from the Western Golf Association / Evans Scholars Foundation 2026 application information and apply to the current cycle. Confirm details at wgaesf.org before applying.