Fellowships and Scholarships

Harry S. Truman Scholarships

Internal BU Deadline: December 4, 2009

Overview

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation--the official federal memorial to honor our thirty-third President--awards merit-based $30,000 scholarships to college and university students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service, and wish to attend graduate 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.

The competition has been designed to benefit all participants--not solely those selected as Truman Scholars. It encourages candidates to reflect on the needs of society they want to address professionally, to refine career goals and objectives, and to begin their planning for graduate study.

Approximately 80 Truman Scholarships are awarded annually on the basis of merit to junior-level students at four-year colleges and universities. One "state" scholarship is 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 address for tax filing purposes and voter registration.) In addition, the Foundation will usually select up to 32 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, and public-service oriented nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect the environment.

Many fields of study can lead to public service careers, 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, public health, and public policy.

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

Eligibility

Each nominee must be:

• a full-time junior-level student at a four-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree during the year of application. "Junior" here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree by the end of the academic year following the year of application, or a student in the third year of collegiate study who expects to graduate during the academic year following the year of application, 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 (Boston University requires a minimum grade point average of 3.5.), and
• a United States citizen or a United States national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Criteria

Harry S. Truman Scholars are selected on the basis of :

• their extent and quality of public and community service and government involvement,
• their academic performance and writing and analytical skills,
• their leadership abilities, and
• the suitability of their proposed program of study for a career in public service.

Application Process

Persons interested in applying for a Truman Scholarship must submit an application form to the Boston University Office of the Provost by the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applications will be considered by the Boston University Fellowship and Scholarship Committee. The Committee will invite finalists for interview and recommend candidates to the Provost for nomination by the University. Only applicants nominated by the University can proceed with the competition.

Boston University may nominate up to four students per year. Nominees need not reside in Massachusetts. Candidates who are participating in junior year abroad programs may be nominated. Boston University may nominate, additionally, three students who completed their first two years at a community college.

A committee examines all nominations and selects about 200 Finalists to be interviewed for Truman Scholarships.

Priority is given to candidates proposing to enroll in graduate programs specifically oriented to careers in public service. These include master's and Ph.D. programs in public administration; public policy analysis; public health; international relations; government; economics; social services delivery; education and human resource development; and conservation and environmental protection.

Nominees may propose joint degree programs. Scholars may make program changes before beginning graduate studies if the changes are consistent with preparation for a career in public service and with the educational programs given priority by the Foundation.

If a Panel judges that none of the Finalists from a state adequately meets each of these criteria, it does not select any candidates from that state.

The Foundation covers 50% of the airfare to a maximum Foundation share of $500 for Finalists who are legal residents of the 48 continental states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. The Foundation will cover 75% of the airfare to a maximum Foundation share of $750 for Finalists from Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam who are enrolled in institutions in their home state or district. The Boston University Office of Fellowships and Scholarships may be able to assist finalists meet the remaining costs associated with interviewing.

Award Value and Conditions

Scholars are eligible to receive $3,000 for the senior year of undergraduate education and $27,000 for graduate studies. Scholars in graduate programs planning to receive degrees in one to two years are eligible to receive $13,500 per year. 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. Scholars may attend graduate or professional schools in the United States or in foreign countries. Scholars are given preferential admissions treatment at leading graduate schools.

Additional information and application forms can be found on the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation web site.