Home
Awards
Truman Scholarship

Truman Scholarship

The Harry S Truman Scholarship is a major national award that provides $30,000 merit-based scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in public service (whether in government or elsewhere).

Eligibility:

Undergraduate applicants are eligible if they submit their applications for Indiana University’s internal competition in either the spring of their sophomore year or the fall of their junior year. Seniors who complete their undergraduate degree in three years may submit their applications in their third and final year. For more details on when you should apply, seehttp://www.truman.gov/are-you-potential-truman-scholar
US citizens
Nominated by their university
In the upper quartile of their class (typically with GPAs above 3.5)

Benefits:

Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school
Leadership development programs
Opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.

Selection Criteria: Candidates should be able to demonstrate significant and deep commitment to public service and leadership. Scholars are selected on the basis of:

commitment to proposed plan to solve a significant public problem
extent and quality of community service and government involvement;
leadership record;
academic performance, writing and analytical skills; and
suitability of the proposed program of study for a career in public service

Spring 2020 Timeline

Applications for students graduating in 2022 are due to Judy Failer, jfailer@indiana.edu, by Monday, April 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m
Contact our faculty representative, Judy Failer, at jfailer@indiana.edu

Details

Campus Nomination Deadline: Monday April 20, 2020
National Deadline: February 2021
Campus Representative: Professor Judy Failer

Eligibility:
To be eligible for consideration for the Truman Scholarship, a student must:

• be a U.S. Citizen or National
• be nominated by his or her university
• be a full-time junior-level student at a four-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree during the 2020-2021 academic year. 'Junior' here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2021 and August 2022.

Because the Truman Scholarship attracts the interest of top candidates around the country, IU only nominates students with outstanding credentials. The foundation chooses scholars on the basis of their excellent academic performance and communication skills, record of and potential for leadership, extensive records of public and community service, and commitment to careers in government or elsewhere in public service. (See the Truman Foundation's definition of "public service" above.) IU's nominating committee and the Truman Foundation selectors are looking for candidates who show promise of making a difference in the world through their public service.

IU Nomination Process:

The IU committee will select up to four nominees for the national 2021 Truman competition. Copies of the application form being used for the process at IU can be downloaded from the Truman Web site: http://truman.gov/candidates/2021-competition.

The completed application must include the 500-word policy proposal on a significant issue related to the candidate's intended area of public service. Students seeking consideration should also include ALL of the three letters of recommendation described in the Truman application materials.

Please note that the national Truman process requires three notably different recommendations although a recommender may comment on all the criteria:

• One focused on Leadership Potential and Abilities
• One focused on a Commitment to a Career in Public Service
• One focused on Intellect and Prospects for Continuing Academic Success

Additional information about the national criteria and process is available at the Truman Foundation website here: http://truman.gov.

Office of National Scholarships & Awards

Truman Scholarship