The IU spring semester deadline for the 2009 Truman Scholarship competition is
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008 Information Meeting: Thursday, March 20, 3-4 p.m.
Honors House, 324 N. Jordan Ave., IU Bloomington
Next year, The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation is expected to award 70-75 merit-based scholarships to students across the nation who will be “juniors” in 2008-09 and who plan to attend graduate or professional school in preparation for careers in government or public service. (See Eligibility section below for the Truman Foundation’s definition of “juniors.”) Each scholarship is worth $30,000 and the Foundation assists Truman Scholars “with career counseling, internship placement, graduate school admissions, and professional development.” To compete for the award, students must be nominated by their undergraduate institutions. The IU Truman Selection/Nomination Committee has set Monday, April 7, 2008, as the campus deadline for current sophomores who wish to be considered for the 2009 competition. (Interested juniors should check the eligibility requirements noted below to determine whether or not they are also eligible for consideration this spring.) In the past, Truman scholars have come from such diverse fields as history, political science, international relations, journalism, economics, education, law, public administration, nonprofit management, physical and social sciences, and technology policy. Truman Scholars are eligible to receive up to $15,000 for the first year of graduate study and $15,000 for the final year of graduate study.
The Truman Scholarship seeks to promote public service, which the foundation defines “as employment in government at any level, uniformed services, public-interest organizations, non-governmental 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.” Scholars are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a graduate degree program funded by the Truman.
Eligibility: To be eligible for consideration for the Truman Scholarship, a student must have a clear commitment to a career in public service, be in the upper quarter of his or her class, be a U.S. Citizen or National, and be nominated by his/her university. The student must also be a “junior-level student,” which for the 2009 competition, we anticipate being defined as a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2009 and August 2010, or third-year student who expects to graduate during the 2008-09 academic year. (Residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible in their fourth year.) See http://www.truman.gov for official eligibility criteria.
Nomination and Selection Standards: Because 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, 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 2009 Truman competition. To be considered by the IU committee, IU students must submit a completed Truman Scholarship application, including a 500-word policy proposal on a significant issue related to the candidate’s intended area of public service. Candidates must also include one of the three letters of recommendation described in the Truman application material. Application materials may be picked up or requested from Elaine Hehner in the Hutton Honors College, 324 N. Jordan Avenue, Room 204, Bloomington, IN 47405. For additional information on the scholarship and guidance on the application, including the 500-word policy proposal, see the Truman Web site: http//www.truman.gov. For additional information on the scholarship and the IU nomination process, contact IU’s Truman faculty representative Judy Failer, jfailer@indiana.edu, or Elaine Hehner at ehehner@indiana.edu.
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