The Leopold Schepp Foundation: Empowering Scholars Through Financial Aid

The Leopold Schepp Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to students pursuing higher education. The Foundation offers scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate character, ability, and financial need.

Eligibility Guidelines

Before applying for a Leopold Schepp Foundation scholarship, applicants must carefully review the eligibility guidelines, ensuring they meet all requirements. The Scholarship Committee determines eligibility for a formal application based on these guidelines.

Age Requirements

Undergraduates must be under 30 years of age at the time of application.
Graduates must be under 40 years of age at the time of application.

Academic Requirements

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
Applicants must enroll full-time in a four-year bachelor's degree or an approved graduate program.
PhD candidates who have only the dissertation to complete and who are not enrolled in class full-time are not eligible.
High school seniors are eligible to apply during their senior year for their first year in college.
Scholars requesting aid for a second degree at the same level for which a degree has already been awarded are not eligible. Examples include a second Bachelor’s Degree or a second Master’s Degree.

Program Restrictions

Due to limited funding, the number of applications given to students enrolled in graduate study at medical, law, or business school is limited.

Interview Requirement

A personal interview in New York City is required of all applicants. Travel expenses are not reimbursed.

Primary Considerations for Awards

The Scholarship Committee considers several factors when awarding scholarships:

Character

References are required from academic deans or advisors, professors or teachers, employers, and personal associates to attest to the applicant's character.

Ability

Academic transcripts are required and must reflect a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, demonstrating the applicant's academic ability.

Financial Need

Awards are based on demonstrated financial need. The maximum annual award is $10,000. Applicants must submit copies of their and their parents’ most recently filed income tax returns (2024). A detailed estimate of academic expenses and resources is required. Eligible scholars are expected to apply for financial aid from all possible sources including federal, state, college and university funding. The Foundation does not provide funding to cover debts already incurred.

Application Process

To apply for a Leopold Schepp Foundation scholarship:

Carefully read the eligibility guidelines.
If you meet all the eligibility guidelines, download and print the Request for an Application.
The Scholarship Committee will determine your eligibility for a formal application.

Scholarship Decisions

Applicants will be notified of the Scholarship Committee’s decisions in May. Awards are granted for one year only.

Read also: Crafting Perfect Thank You Notes

Important Dates

The Foundation is no longer accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year. The Foundation will begin accepting requests for 2027-28 in July 2026. There is not a specific deadline for submitting a Request for an Application. The cutoff is automatically imposed when a sufficient number of requests have been received.

Board of Trustees

The Leopold Schepp Foundation is guided by a dedicated Board of Trustees, each bringing unique experiences and perspectives to the organization. The current board members include:

Diana Herrmann: Serves as Chair, President and CEO of Aquila Management Corporation and Aquila Investment Management LLC. Diana graduated from Colby College with a major in Human Development and received a graduate degree from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. She has served as a trustee of the Leopold Schepp Foundation since 1995.
Dean Lewallen: A member of the Board of Trustees since 2018. Before retiring in 2019, Mr. Lewallen was Senior Vice President and High-Yield Municipal Credit Analyst with AllianceBernstein. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his M.B.A. in Finance from Cornell University. He was a Schepp Scholar for two years while attending Cornell.
Vickie Au: One of the newest members to the board. She majored in marketing with an emphasis on international business at New York University. Vickie continued her career with Bristol Myers Squibb and then joined the global marketing team of Astound Commerce.
Michele Paige: The CFO of Digital Financial Group. She is the Interim Treasurer and Secretary for DBNAlliance. Michele earned her MBA at Harvard Business School and her J.D. at Yale Law School.
Bruno Quinson: Previously CEO, Publisher and President of Henry Holt & Co. Today, Bruno serves as a trustee of the Museum of the City of New York, the Leopold Schepp Foundation, and Graywolf Publishing.
Robert Banning: A pediatric cardiologist who was a Schepp Scholar during his post graduate training in New York City. He practiced cardiology for several years and then changed to the practice of pharmaceutical medicine.
Martin Tandler: Owned and ran an apparel textile company, Tandler Textile Inc, for 35 years. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a BA in history, Martin taught English in junior high school early in his career.
Barbara Banning McLendon: She was the Assistant Director of the Yorkville Youth Council. Since then, she has devoted her life to volunteer work.
Kathryn Conroy: After graduation from Kenyon College in 1973, Kathryn moved to New York City to work at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. In addition to the Schepp Foundation, Kathryn serves on non-profit boards dealing with education, the elderly, and environmental preservation.
James Turino: Based in New York, James Turino is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Drake Star.
Frank Cohen: He is a member of the firm’s executive committee and is president of their broker dealer.
Susan Brenner: Has an active private practice in individual, marital and family therapy. She holds a Master’s of Social Work degree from Fordham University.
Emily Wood: Graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in mathematics, and earned an MBA from the Amos Tuck School, Dartmouth College. She then served for many years as Director of the Office of Graduate Medical Education at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Nancy Grossman: Retired, with tenured full professor rank, from the Fashion Institute of Technology/State University of New York in 2010, where she served as Director of Student Life, for over 37 years.

Read also: Foundation Scholarship Details

tags: #Leopold #Schepp #Foundation