Mrs. Leona Lapinski Leute has generously endowed a scholarship honoring her parents, Michael and Emily Lapinski, for students in the UW-Madison Polish program.

For undergraduate students currently enrolled at UW-Madison who will be continuing in UW-Madison in the next academic year or for graduate students entering into UW-Madison or continuing in a UW-Madison graduate program, the Lapinski Scholarship provides money for UW-Madison tuition for students studying Polish language, literature and culture.  The annual application deadline is March 1; when March 1 falls on a weekend, deadline is first Monday following March 1.  Applications consist of the student application dossier and two recommendations.

1. The student application dossier must be received by Lapinski Scholarship Coordinator, 1432 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, Madison, WI  53706.

The student application dossier consists of the following materials:

1a. Cover sheet (Lapinski Application)

1b. Statement of purpose: This is a typewritten essay in English of 800 to 1000 words in length.  The essay should be in 12 point font and should be double-spaced.  It must be signed and dated.  In your essay, explain your purpose(s) for studying Polish language, literature and culture and how the Polish program fits into your intellectual interests, academic plans and plans for life after graduation.

1c. UW-Madison transcript (unofficial campus copy is acceptable) and transcripts from any other colleges or universities attended after high school graduation (official copies for transcripts from other institutions)

1d. Sample of work in Polish studies: In English or Polish, typed, not to exceed 10 pages in length; must be signed and dated.   Graduate students who have not taken a Polish language or Polish literature class should submit a Russian Literature writing sample.

2. Two letters of recommendation:  Recommenders must use the Lapinski Scholarship form and letters must be received by the March 1 deadline (one copy) to: Lapinski Scholarship Coordinator, 1432 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706.  Recommendations must be in sealed envelopes with a signature over the seal.  For all undergraduate applicants and continuing graduate applications, at least one of the recommendations must be from a faculty or staff member teaching Polish language, literature or culture at UW-Madison.

The Lapinski Scholarship award selection committee consists of all faculty and staff teaching Polish language, literature and culture at UW-Madison and the chair or associate chair of the Slavic Department. The committee will consider all the information in the application dossier and the recommendations and will give preference, among undergraduate applicants, to those who have declared a major in Polish and, among graduate applicants, to those for whom Polish is a significant part of their academic program (Second Slavic language, PhD minor in Polish, and/or dissertation plan focusing on Poland or Polish).  Awards will be announced by April 1 annually.

To download the Lapinski Scholarship Application Coversheet and Recommendation Forms, click on sLapinski Scholarship Application Coversheet and Recommendation Form.  You must have Adobe Reader to open and print these documents.