HARRY S TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FAQ
Louis Blair, Executive Director
What is the Truman Scholarship?
The Truman is a highly competitive grant for graduate study, worth $26,000, awarded annually to approximately 75 college juniors who intend to pursue public service.
Who is eligible?
Applicants must be US citizens or US nationals with junior standing and must be planning to attend graduate or professional school, with the intent of working for the government, nonprofit groups, or advocacy bodies.
What types of graduate study are eligible?
Preference is given to students seeking training in law, public policy, international relations, government, economics, education and human resource development, and conservation and environmental protection. Students who wish to pursue graduate or professional study in medicine, business, or the sciences may also be considered if they can demonstrate that their graduate studies will prepare them for policy-oriented positions.
What is the application process for the Truman Scholarship?
There are two parts to the Truman application process: the application and the interview. The application consists of several brief essays, a policy proposal, three letters of recommendation, an official transcript, an official nomination from the institution, and a letter of recommendation from the Truman faculty representative. One of the letters of recommendation must corroborate the nominee's response to Item 7 on the application. The application is typically due
The students who are selected as finalists are invited to interviews. The interviews for Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma residents take place in Dallas. Interviews last twenty minutes, and are known for their challenging, confrontational style.
How competitive is the award?
Each year, there are approximately 600 applicants, of whom approximately 225 will receive interviews, and 75-80 will be offered scholarships. Students are considered based on their home states, not their college or university.
Do students from smaller states have an advantage in the process?
Possibly. The selection panels try to select at least recipient from each state each year, but if no qualified candidates from a given state are available, they will not name a scholar from that state. Consequently, there will be two scholarships available the next year. The number of scholarships given to students from Texas typically ranges from three to six.
What traits does the selection panel seek?
The purpose of the Truman Scholarship is to find and encourage students who are “change agents” with a passion to changing and improving the system. According to the Truman website, the four main criteria considered by the Truman panel are
• An extensive record of campus and community service
• Commitment to a career in the government, nonprofit, or advocacy sectors
• Communication skills and high probability of being a “change agent”
• Strong academic record and high likelihood of being accepted to a first-rate graduate
school
The panel is looking for applicants with “moxie,” those who have the character and passion to make a difference.
What is considered to be an extensive record of campus and community service?
Candidates should have at least two years of solid public service with a very good record in at least two of the following areas: student government; community activities (beyond churches and scouting); government internships; advocacy/interest groups; and elections and/or political campaigns for office.
How important are grades?
Grades are not necessarily as important to the selection panel as community service and leadership experience, but students should be in the top 10-15% of their class. Some recent Scholars have had GPAs between 3.5 and 3.6, but had done well in upper-level courses in their field of study.