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Harry S. Truman Scholarship

The information below was taken from the Bulletin of Information of the Truman Foundation. Additional information is available on the Truman Web Site (see below). Deadlines pertinent to the Duke phase of the scholarship competition are noted below.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

"The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation -- the federal memorial to our thirty-third president -- awards merit-based $30,000 scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service, and wish to attend graduate or professional school to help prepare for their careers. Truman Scholars participate in leadership development programs and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government. In 2008, the Foundation awarded 65 Truman Scholarships on the basis of merit to junior-level students at four-year colleges and universities who:

  • have extensive records of public and community service
  • are committed to careers in government or elsewhere in the public service
  • have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills

The foundation anticipates selecting up to three scholars who are residents of Puerto Rico and the Islands with senior-level academic standing."

"Scholars are eligible to receive $3,000 for the senior year of undergraduate education and $27,000 for graduate studies. Scholars in master's degree programs planning to receive degrees in one to two years are eligible to receive $13,500 per year. Scholars in law programs are eligible to receive $13,500 for the second year of law school and $13,500 at the start of the third year's second semester if they provide evidence that they will enter public service upon graduation or upon completion of any judicial clerkships after graduation. Scholars in graduate programs requiring three or more years of academic study are eligible to receive $9,000 per year for a maximum of three years. They may attend graduate or professional schools in the United States or in foreign countries."

"In most years, one state scholarship will be available to a qualified resident nominee in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, considered as a single entity, the Islands: Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (Residency is generally determined by home address for school registration, family's primary residence, and voter registration.) The Foundation usually selects up to 30 at-large Scholars."

A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE:

"The Foundation defines public service as employment in government at any level, uniformed services, public-interest organizations, nongovernmental research and/or educational organizations, public and private schools, and public-service oriented nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect the environment."

"The Foundation has supported Truman Scholars in many fields of study, including agriculture, biology, engineering, environmental management, physical and social sciences, and technology policy, as well as traditional fields such as economics, education, government, history, international relations, law, political science, public administration, nonprofit management, public health, and public policy."

"Former Truman Scholars serve as managers of government programs; legislators and aides for legislative bodies; foreign service officers; school teachers; staff members in policy analysis and research organizations; attorneys for government agencies; public defenders professors; and professional staff in advocacy organizations and not-for-profit institutions."

CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY:

"Each nominee must be

  • a full-time junior-level student at a four-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree during the academic year. "Junior" here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree within 3 semesters, or a student in his or her third year of collegiate study who expects to graduate early having completed 6 or 7 semesters, or a senior-level student who is a resident of Puerto Rico or the Islands,
  • committed to a career in public service as defined above,
  • in the upper quarter of his or her class, and
  • a United States citizen or a United States national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Resident aliens (green card holders) are not eligible."

SELECTION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES:

  1. Candidates must be nominated by their institution. Applications are not accepted directly from candidates.
  2. On campus deadline for submission to 103 W. Duke Building of preliminary applications (on-line version). To use the online application, you must pre-apply through the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and fellows. Deadlines for both pre-registering and for the on-campus submission of an application are usually in the late fall and are listed here.
  3. The Campus nominating committee reviews the preliminary applications and selects candidates for a campus interview, held in late November. A maximum of four students may be nominated by Duke to the Truman Foundation.

Official Web Site
http://www.truman.gov

Application Year:
Junior
Requirements:
Scholars selected are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a Foundation funded graduate degree.
GPA equal or above:
3.7
Area of Interests:
Any
Signature of Program:
Funding toward graduate study with a view to public service.
Institutional Endorsement Required:
Yes
On Campus Deadline:
Pre registration is required with OUSF for access to the application by November 4,2009. Complete Application due November 20, 2009.
Scholarship Deadline:
February 2, 2010
Contact Person:
OUSF@duke.edu
Amount of Award:
Up to $30,000 for post graduate study.
Award Recipients