Scholarships
The Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Foundation funds the following academic and athletic scholarships: The Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Scholarship at Fairfield Prep (academic), The Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Travel and House Wizard Hockey Scholarship (athletic), The United in Hope Scholarship (academic) and the Act of Kindness Scholarship (academic or athletic). In honor of its 10th Anniversary, the Foundation created and awarded the Seize the Day Scholarship in 2020. Since its inception, the scholarship has awarded over $623,000.00 in academic and athletic scholarships to children in the surrounding community.
Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Scholarship at Fairfield Prep
The Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Foundation proudly supports the Chad A. Jacobs Scholarship at Fairfield Prep. Chad attended Fairfield Prep from 1978-1982. The education Chad received at Fairfield Prep combined with the lifelong friends that he met at Prep became an integral part of the amazing person Chad became as an adult. This Prep scholarship is awarded to an incoming freshman who has a financial need and is granted to him yearly until he graduates from Prep. An outsourcing company used by Fairfield Prep determines the scholarship recipient. The Board of the Foundation maintains a relationship with the Prep recipient and family.
Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Scholarship at Wonderland of Ice
The Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Scholarship at Wonderland of Ice is available to house and travel hockey players who have a desire to play hockey and have a financial need. Chad grew up playing hockey at Wonderland of Ice and later coached, including his son Mac’s house hockey team in 2009-2010. The Hockey Scholarship Committee, comprised of members of the CAJ Foundation Executive and Advisory Board, determines the recipients of the hockey scholarships. The Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Foundation has awarded just over $325,000.00 to Wizard hockey players since the 2011-2012 season. Hockey players can find the Chad A. Jacobs Meorial Scholarship application on the Wizard website: www.wonderlandwizards.com
United in Hope Scholarship
The United in Hope Scholarship is an academic scholarship awarded to a high school senior who lost a parent to cancer, lives or attends high school in Westport or Fairfield, CT, and is planning on attending an institution of higher learning. Financial need is not a requirement for the scholarship award but is used to determine scholarship amount. The United in Hope Scholarship was created in memory of Chad and his dear friend, John Flanagan*. CAJF Board members determine the recipients of the United in Hope Scholarship and award amounts. Since 2013, a total of $94,500.00 has been awarded to 26 very deserving students. Losing a parent to cancer is devastating enough, the financial burden often incurred by this disease and death of a parent can be debilitating. It is our goal that the United in Hope Scholarship will help offset the costs of higher education for students who lost a parent and will give families hope for the future. For more information on the United in Hope Scholarship, please email info@cajfoundation.org.
Click here to download the 2025 scholarship application.
*John Flanagan and Chad met at Fairfield Prep and went on to become lifelong friends. In 1998 they started ICR (with fellow Prep alum, Tom Ryan), a financial communications firm. In 1998 John passed away from cancer, shortly after his diagnosis, leaving behind his wife, Amanda, and three young children. The John Patrick Flanagan Foundation (“JPFF”) was established shortly after John passed away. The mission of JPFF is to help vulnerable children and families by supporting charities that provide the direction, education and healthy environment that vulnerable children and families need to have the opportunity to reach their full potential. JPFF is a proud supporter of the Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Foundation and the United in Hope Scholarship. www.jpff.org.
Chad and John Flanagan after John and Amanda's wedding, 1996
An Act of Kindness Scholarship
Seize the Day Scholarship
To mark the 10 year anniversary of the inception of the Chad A. Jacobs Memorial Foundation, the Seize the Day Scholarship was created to honor (an) individual(s) who had a compelling story that resonated with Chad's life and legacy and had a financial need for an academic or athletic scholarship. Shortly thereafter we received Act of Kindness Scholarship applications from brothers, Charlie and Will Capalbo, from Fairfield, CT. Charlie, a two time cancer survivor at the age of was applying for an academic scholarship to attend Fairfield University. Will, the bone marrow donor for his brother, Charlie was applying for an academic scholarship to Albertus Magnus. Charlie and Will both grew up playing hockey at Wonderland of Ice where Chad learned to skate, was training ice for Fairfield Prep when Chad was on the team, and where Chad later coached. To be honest, no two individuals were more deserving of the Seize the Day Scholarship. Both boys received $10,000.00 academic scholarships. To see their story please click on the following link:
https://www.nbcsports.com/video/hockey-player-charlie-capalbo-back-ice-after-bone-marrow-transplant