Epsilon Pi Alumni
Recognizing brothers who exemplify the highest ideals of Sigma Nu
The Epsilon Pi Chapter of Sigma Nu maintains one of the most generous scholarship programs in the UCLA Greek community. Awards are funded through the Sigma Nu Alumni Scholarship Fund (SNASF) — a 501(c)(3) endowment currently valued at approximately $3.2 million — and the Carol L. Merlone Educational Foundation (CLMEF), a 10-year commitment sunsetting in 2030 that is establishing a sustainable path toward a tuition-free undergraduate experience for Epsilon Pi members.
All scholarship awards apply to net tuition per academic year after accounting for Pell grants and other UCLA/UC endowment programs. Members must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment (12+ units) to remain eligible. Awards are based on past performance and are paid directly to each recipient’s BruinBill in three equal quarterly installments.
Applications are called for in Winter Quarter. Submit all materials to the Chapter Scholarship Chairman. The Alumni Board will announce award winners prior to the end of Spring Quarter.
The following awards are paid quarterly through CLMEF and require no application — eligibility is determined each quarter by the Chapter Scholarship Chairman.
Status Award
$200 per quarter
Awarded to all members in good standing with the Chapter and University.
Status Award
Up to $20,000 per quarter total
Awarded to officers taking on significant chapter leadership responsibilities, as recommended by the Scholarship Chair.
Status Award
$1,000 per quarter
Awarded to all Junior/Senior members resident in the Fraternity House. Suspended if the member no longer resides in the house.
Honor Scholarship · $10,000
Captain Coffee with inaugural scholarship winner Pete Slaats.
Few have been tested and fewer still have survived an ordeal with such honor as Gerald L. Coffee (Epsilon Pi 468). While flying combat missions over North Vietnam in 1966, his reconnaissance jet was downed by enemy fire. As he parachuted to earth he was immediately captured, and for the ensuing seven years was held as a prisoner of war. After his repatriation in 1973, Captain Coffee returned to operational duties in the Navy and retired from active duty in 1985 with 28 years of service. His military decorations include the Silver Star, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnam Service Medal with 13 stars.
In honor of Captain Coffee as the personification of the highest ideals expressed in the Creed of Sigma Nu, this $10,000 scholarship — funded by the SNASF — is awarded to the applicant who best exemplifies the highest ideals of fraternal leadership. Winners are typically also eligible for the Live-In Upperclassman Supplement ($1,000/quarter) and the Base Scholarship ($200/quarter), bringing the total annual package to $16,500 — sufficient to cover a full year’s UCLA tuition.
Selection Criteria
Scholastic Achievement of a High Order
Fraternal Exemplar of the Creed of Sigma Nu
Demonstrated Leadership Qualities — including goal orientation, creativity, motivation and persistence in pursuing worthy goals, and the ability to lead, communicate, and motivate a team
Integrity of Character
Use of Talents to the Full
How to Apply
Submit the following to the Chapter Scholarship Chairman in Winter Quarter:
Finalists will be interviewed by an alumni scholarship committee.
Honor & Need-Based Awards · Pool of $75,000
Selected winners share a pool of $75,000 (individual award sizes determined by the Alumni Board). All Honor Scholarship recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.
Eligibility Requirements
Academic Accomplishment (2.8+ cumulative GPA minimum)
Leadership exemplifying Sigma Nu values to Epsilon Pi, UCLA, and/or community
Priority awarded to members with live-in experience of at least one full term (three academic quarters)
Minimum one full term (3 quarters) remaining to graduation at time of application
In good standing with Chapter, UCLA, and community
How to Apply
Submit the following to the Chapter Scholarship Chairman in Winter Quarter:
Recognition Award · No Cash Component
A towering figure at 6’5”, Harry Montague (Epsilon Pi 774) joined Sigma Nu in the fall of 1967. His joyful involvement, willing ear, and sincere commitment to the Sigma Nu lifetime bond made him a cherished friend among his peers. Always a sports enthusiast, brother “H” used his economics degree to launch a 12-year career with the Huntington Beach Recreation Department where he coached the essentials of sports and exemplified the spirit of life.
In 1988, at age 40, he was tragically killed in a bicycle accident on Pacific Coast Highway. This scholarship is awarded annually to the non-officer applicant most integral to the chapter’s brotherhood.
Recognition Award · No Cash Component
Epsilon Pi brothers from 1957 to 1970 enjoyed the best meals on Fraternity Row thanks to Ruth “Ruthie” Scott. An excellent manager of food budgets and dedicated employee of the active chapter, Ruthie essentially served as the “House Mother” for 14 years. Her personal interest in each and every one of “her boys” earned her fierce loyalty from the chapter and especially those who worked alongside her in the kitchen.
This award goes to the live-in member who had the greatest positive impact on the chapter’s food service program.
Annual Timeline
Winter Quarter
Chapter Scholarship Chairman calls for applications.
Spring Break
Scholarship Chairman forwards recommendations to the Alumni Board.
Spring Quarter
Alumni Board announces award winners. Grants applied to BruinBill in three equal quarterly installments for the ensuing year.
The Alumni Board reserves the right to publish application essays and videos in portion or in full to advance the vitality of the SNASF and the Epsilon Pi chapter of Sigma Nu. All recipients must remain in good standing with the Chapter and with UCLA. The Alumni Board reserves the right to disqualify any candidate for content or actions unbecoming of a Sigma Nu.