OYAYA Scholarships

Each year, the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry writes approximately $20,000 in scholarships, assisting youth and young adults to attend diocesan events or those approved of by Bishop Joseph Siegel.  As certain stipulations apply, the application process is important to know.  This page will help you to understand what types of events qualify for scholarship assistance, who can apply, and how the application process works.

Louise Becker Youth Endowment

The overwhelming majority of scholarships offered through the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (OYAYA) come from the Louise Becker Youth Endowment.  This endowment was established in 2006 to assist youth and young adults to participate in Catholic events and functions.  The endowment was established following the sale of The Outpost, a youth camp, which was originally a gift from Louise Becker.  This permanent endowment provides for an annual distribution for programs of the Diocese of Evansville.

General Fund

A secondary, and much smaller scholarship source, falls under the discretionary budget funds for OYAYA.  These funds tend to be for one-time, specific needs like a youth minister who wishes to attend a seminar, but whose parish is unable to afford the cost.  Such scholarships tend to total less than $1,000 in any fiscal year.

Non-diocesan Funds

Several non-diocesan programs have relationships with various scholarship sources that are made available to dioceses across the United States.  These funds are specific to an event, and the OYAYA merely acts as a  clearinghouse for these funds by awarding them to qualified recipients from the Diocese of Evansville.  The largest example of this type of scholarship are the funds received from Our Sunday Visitor that assist youth in attending Notre Dame Vision each summer.

Ministry-specific Funds

Certain funds have been set aside to assist specific youth ministries.  Two of these are specific to Scouts BSA:  The Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger Catholic Scouting Endowment and the Philip Kreilein Eagle Scout Endowment are awarded through the Diocesan Committee on Catholic Scouting (DCCS).  For more information, please contact Deacon Charlie Koressel, DCCS Chaplain, by clicking here.

In-kind Donations

These, technically, are not "scholarships," but they are gifts that allow young people to attend certain events, most within the Diocese.  For example, each year Holiday World offers parishes discounted tickets for the first week of June (formerly connected to the "Servers' Day" event, these tickets are still restricted to youth who serve specific ministries in their parish).  The Evansville Otters have also gifted blocks of tickets to games.  There is no application process for these types of programs; rather OYAYA will notify diocesan organizations of the availability of such gifts, and those wishing to participate make direct requests.  These types of offerings vary from year to year.

What types of events qualify for Becker Endowment or General Fund Requests?

As noted above, scholarship funds are restricted to two categories:
  1. Events or programs of the Diocese of Evansville (e.g., Pilgrimage for Life, World Youth Day, NCYC, etc.)
  2. Events or programs approved of by the Bishop of the Diocese of Evansville for youth of the Diocese to attend (e.g., Notre Dame Vision; One Bread, One Cup; Source & Summit; Mission: Evansville, etc.)
Unfortunately, OYAYA does not have funds available for mission trips, pilgrimages, service years, etc. that are pursued by individuals outside of their parish or school.  Although these are extremely valuable for those who participate, the specific endowment statements do not apply to such events.  As an example, if an individual wishes to do a summer mission trip to Haiti that is not part of a parish or school program/sponsorship, neither Becker Endowment nor General Fund monies apply.

OYAYA continues to pursue options that may allow for funding of a greater variety of worthwhile projects.  If you are interested in establishing an endowment for such a purpose, please contact Jeremy Goebel, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry to discuss how such a fund can be established. [email protected] 

How to Request Scholarship Funds
The application process for either Becker Funds or General Fund requests is simple, and it entails the following steps (note:  all must be followed to be considered for scholarships):
  • Download and complete the Scholarship Application form below;
  • Be certain to include all required information:
    1. Full name of applicant (parents, youth ministers, etc. may not request funds for children; youth must submit forms themselves)
    2. Address
    3. Event for which funds are requested
    4. Date of event
    5. Specific amount of ask (i.e., "$200," not "Whatever amount can be provided.")
    6. Statement of need (i.e, "due to a family illness," "loss of job," etc.)
    7. Signature of applicant (parents, et. al. may not apply for youth)
  • Mail (do not email) form to OYAYA


Do All Requests Require A Scholarship Application Form?
As a best practice, all requests should be made on the official scholarship application form (although there are a few exceptions).  One example is for Notre Dame Vision.  The Our Sunday Visitor Scholarships are fixed, regardless of the number of applicants from across the Diocese.  In order to extend the benefit to all who apply, some Becker and General Fund monies are applied as a supplement.  Since all recipients receive these funds, no specific  letter is required.  These situations are extremely rare, and such exceptions are clearly articulated for the event.  As such, Scholarship Application forms are required for the majority of requests.
Still have questions?  Please contact the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry by clicking here.