HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP

WWW.TRUMAN.GOV

Melissa Hatfield RiggsNAU Truman Representative andNational Scholarship Coordinator

NAU.EDU/NISF

TRUMAN MISSION

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation supports the graduate education of outstanding young people who are already making a difference and who are committed to becoming a “change agent” in government and other public service leadership careers.

HOW MANY APPLY

Approximately 600 candidates are nominated by their university.

Approximately 200 are chosen as finalists to be interviewed.

Approximately 55-65 will be selected as Truman Scholars.

TRUMAN BENEFITS

• Up to $30,000 toward educational expenses to fund a public service-related graduate degree at the accredited institution of your choice (national and international)

• Truman Scholars Leadership Week: an introduction to Truman services, professional development activities, and networking

• The Summer Institute: an 8-week internship program that brings Truman Scholars to Washington, DC for the summer following graduation from college

• The Truman-Albright Fellows Program permits Truman Scholars to remain employed in Washington, DC for a year or two between undergrad and graduate school and keeps them engaged in community-building and professional development programming

• In 2013, the Foundation launched two new programs - Truman Democracy Fellows and Truman Governance Fellows - for Truman Scholars of all ages interested in running for office or serving in high-level appointed office, respectively

• Special opportunities for employment with the federal government• PRESTIGE!

SERVICE REQUIREMENT

Scholars are required to work in public service for 3 of the 7 years following completion of a Foundation-funded graduate degree program

as a condition of receiving funding.

 

EXAMPLES OF CAREER GOALS SOUGHT

The Foundation seeks students who desire careers in such public service positions as:

• managers, administrators, and analysts in federal, state, and local agencies• legislators, aides to legislators, and staff for legislative committees• foreign service officers and staff in international development and assistance organizations• professional staff in nonprofit and advocacy organizations, for example to serve disadvantaged groups or to protect the environment• analysts and researchers for think tanks and policy research and development organizations • attorneys for government agencies and legislative bodies• teachers in public and private schools

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• public service-oriented nonprofit organizations

 

EXAMPLES OF SUPPORTED DEGREES

Truman supports graduate degrees or equivalents such as:

• a master's degree or a doctorate in fields in which most graduates go into public service,

• a professional degree such as a law degree,

• or a Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Health, Master of Social Work, Master of Education, Master of Public Policy, or Master of International Affairs.

The Foundation does not give priority to candidates seeking MBAs or MDs unless they can demonstrate a strong public policy or public health interest.

DEFERRAL

Scholarship/Grad School Deferral: • Truman Scholars may defer, for up to four years, Foundation support for their graduate studies after completion of their undergraduate studies. •Scholars in graduate study programs supported by other means and Scholars in the Armed Forces may request additional years of deferral.

TRUMAN ELIGIBILITY

Must be: • A full-time junior-level student at a 4-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree during the 2015-2016 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 2016 and August 2017, • OR students with senior-level standing who will graduate after only three years of college enrollment. (Residents of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Islands must have senior-level academic standing.)

• In the upper quarter of his or her class; and

• A US citizen, or a US national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Resident aliens (green card holders) are not eligible.

TRUMAN ELIGIBILITY, CONTINUED

A good candidate for the Truman Scholarship also:

• has an extensive record of public, government, campus, and/or community service• has outstanding leadership potential and communication skills • is committed to a career in government or elsewhere in public service, as defined by the Foundation• has a strong academic record with likely acceptance to the graduate school of the candidate’s choice• has a high probability of becoming a “change agent”

PARTS OF THE APPLICATION

Applications include:

• Online application form, including short essays plus formal policy proposal

• Three letters of recommendation• Unofficial Transcript• A nomination letter from NAU

The faculty rep uploads your letters and transcript.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

1. one for leadership (must link with leadership experience addressed in question 7)

2. one for commitment to public service

3. one for academic excellence

See sample letter forms for extra description: www.truman.gov/sample-application-materials

FINALIST CRITERIA

Finalists are selected from the written application on the basis of:

•  extent and quality of community service and government involvement;

• leadership record;

• academic performance, writing and analytical skills;

• suitability of the nominee's proposed program of study for a career in public service.

SCHOLAR CRITERIA

Regional selection panels interview Finalists and select Truman Scholars largely on the basis of:

• leadership potential and communication skills• intellectual strength and analytical ability• likelihood of “making a difference” in public service

TO APPLY OR NOT TO APPLY…

Start with “Are You a Potential Truman Scholar” atwww.truman.gov/candidates/how-become-truman-scholar/

NAU INTERNAL DEADLINE REQUIREMENTS

Interested students are required to provide partial application materials by the NAU internal deadline:

1. simple info form

2. a detailed resume

3. unofficial transcript

4. names, contact email, relationship for three probable reference letter writers

5. draft answers to questions 9 and 12-14

6. a draft of the policy proposal

(Handout on requirements available from Melissa)

NAU INTERNAL PROCESS

• Send partial application materials to Melissa.Riggs@nau.edu byNov 2, 2015 to meet the NAU internal deadline.

• Complete application online by no later than Dec 14, 2015.• An NAU selection committee will select the most competitive

candidates to be officially nominated by NAU and go forward with the competition.

• Nominees should work with a policy specialist on the Truman policy proposal, as well as an additional academic mentor.

• We require a major revision of the application online Jan 5, 2016. Ongoing revised drafts are required weekly. 

• After additional feedback, finalists should be prepared to do more revision before the final NAU submission deadline of Jan 26, 2016.

FULL TIMELINE

NAU Internal Deadline (partial materials) Nov 2, 2015

Complete Online App and Letters no later than Dec 14, 2015

Weekly revisions Final feedback Jan 26 version

NAU deadline to submit final online Jan 29, 2016

Truman Application Official Deadline probably Feb 2, 2016 (11:59 MT)

Finalist Posting late Feb, 2016

Regional Interviews March 1-April 15, 2016

Scholar Posting Mid-April, 2016

Truman Scholars Leadership Week Late May, 2016

RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• See www.truman.gov/sample-application-materials/ for Sample Application/Proposal materials

• See www.truman.gov/candidates/advice-guidance for excellent application advice and examples

• Also see nau.edu/NISF>Tips for Application for more excellent application advice!!!

• Note that recommendation letter forms are targeted: academic, leadership, and commitment to public service. Talk with Melissa about who to choose, and recommend that writers see nau.edu/NISF>Tips for Recommenders. Send letter drafts first to Melissa before they upload!

• (You check nau.edu/NISF>Tips for Applications>Working with References)

FREQUENT PROBLEMS IN APPLICATIONS

Candidates often fail to advance because of:

• little evidence of leadership

• lack of sustained community service involvement• poor use of questions 7, 10 and especially 14 to reveal their interests, values, and motivation

• failure to follow directions or suggestions on the Foundation's website• seeking careers that do not fit the Foundation's definition of public service or that are not likely to affect public policies or education programs • graduate study proposals lacking specifics on what they plan to study, which institution they hope to attend, and some discussion of the major courses.

CONTACT INFO

Melissa Hatfield Riggs(928) 523-6357

Melissa.Riggs@nau.edu

Cowden, Bldg #38 (for now)--enter through Honors main office

facing the Union