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Purpose: Established as the official federal memorial to honor Harry S. Truman; supports training for person pursuing "careers in government or elsewhere in public service."

Amount and Length of Award: $30,000 for graduate school. $30,000 alone may not cover all expenses for some graduate programs, but Truman Scholars are heavily recruited and often find that the schools will cover any balance with scholarships of their own.

Eligibility:

Citizenship: U.S.

Marital Status: No requirement.

GPA/Class Standing: Should have 3.5 to be competitive. Must be in upper quarter of class.

Age and/or Class: Any age. Application must be made during the junior year, which is defined by prospective graduation date. For example, to qualify for the 2000 competition (with final application submitted in January of 2000), you must expect to graduate between December 2000 and August 2001. Note that older, so-called "nontraditional" students are eligible. UALR's first winner was 32 when she applied.

Career Plans and/or Degrees Sought: You must be preparing for a career in public service, defined as employment in "government at any level, uniformed services, public interest organizations, nongovernmental research and/or educational organizations, and public service oriented nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect resources." Also, you must aspire to eventually assume a position of leadership in your field, a position that will enable you to shape public policy. Social work, for example, is a public service, but if you intend only to work as a caseworker, you would not qualify.

Although priority is given to candidates seeking admission to programs in public administration, public policy analysis, public health, law, international relations, government, social services delivery systems, education and human resource development, economics, and conservation and environmental protection, the pursuit of almost any master's or doctoral degree is eligible.

While employment in nongovernmental educational organizations is included in the definition of public service, an intention to get a Ph.D. and secure a teaching position in a university usually will not suffice. The Foundation does not deem teaching per se to be a very direct means of shaping public policy. It may be that your career plans will necessitate a teaching stint at a university, but you will have to convince the foundation that you are ultimately aiming for something other than this.

Experience: You must have an established record of public service. This can include anything from candy-striping to internships with public service agencies to participating in Habitat for Humanity or UALR's "Paint Your Heart Out" to work in political campaigns, but you have to have a pretty good list of such activities. You must also have some record of exercising leadership. No amount of academic achievement alone will substitute for such a record.

Important Features of the Written Application: You must list the graduate programs you are interested in. This entails more than ticking off a few Ivy League or west coast schools. Research into programs is required to make a convincing case for your preferences. You must also write an 800-word public policy essay in which you identify a problem and recommend a solution. Although it is brief, it too will demand careful research. The topic of the essay should be in line with your degree and career plans.

Three letters of recommendation are required: one that addresses your leadership potential, one that testifies to your dedication to public service, and one that confirms your intellectual ability.

Application Process: All colleges and universities in the U.S. may nominate up to four persons to submit written applications. From these applications, "finalists" are selected for interviews before a panel of public dignitaries. Winners are chosen on the basis of the interviews. Each state is usually awarded at least one winner, and 20-30 at-large awards are granted.

Deadlines: Applicants should contact the campus representative during the spring prior to the year in which they will apply. Since application is made during the junior year (see "Age and/or Class" above), this usually means that interested students should contact the campus representative during the spring of their sophomore year at the latest. An initial screening application is used to determine general eligibility. If such requirements are met, applicants proceed to write a first draft of the application, due early in the summer. After consultation with the campus representative, applicants begin the second draft, due at the beginning of the fall semester. They continue to polish the application, solicit letters of recommendation, and participate in mock interviews during the fall semester.

CAMPUS DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 2006 COMPETITION: NOVEMBER 21, 2005. (The university submits the applications of final nominees in the middle of January.)

For Further Information: Contact Professor Elisabeth Sherwin, UALR Department of Psychology, ebsherwin@ualr.edu, Phone: 501.569.3171

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