Student Fellowships & Research

Description.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation is the federal memorial to our thirty-third President. The mission of the Truman Scholarship Foundation is: (1) to find and recognize college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service; and (2) to provide them with financial support for graduate study, leadership training, and fellowship with other students who are committed to making a difference through public service. The Truman funds a variety of degrees in a number of disciplines. Priority is given not to degrees, but to those candidates who can demonstrate a strong likelihood of a career in the public sector and a desire to be a change agent. 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, and public service-oriented nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect the environment.

Benefits.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards $30,000 merit-based scholarships to college students who wish to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Sixty to sixty-five students will be awarded Truman Scholarships in 2009. They will receive leadership training, graduate school counseling, preferential admission and merit-based aid to some premier graduate institutions, and internship opportunities with federal agencies. They will establish friendships with persons sharing similar values and interests. Scholars are eligible to receive up to $15,000 for the first year of graduate study. They are eligible to receive up to $15,000 for the final year of graduate study. Scholars are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a Foundation funded graduate degree program as a condition of receiving funding.

Eligibility.
Each nominee for the Truman Scholarship must be:

• nominated by their current institution of higher education or by their two-year institution if they are transfer students from community colleges or junior colleges. Applications are not accepted directly from candidates.
• a full-time junior-level student at a four-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree during the 2008-2009 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 2009 and August 2010, a student in his or her second or third year of collegiate study who expects to graduate during the 2008-2009 academic year, or a senior-level student who is a resident of Puerto Rico or the Islands,
• committed to a career in public service as defined by the Foundation,
• in the upper quarter of his or her class, and
• an United States citizen or a United States national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Resident aliens (green card holders) are not eligible.

A good candidate for the Truman Scholarship meets the above eligibility requirements and also:

• has an extensive record of public and community service;
• has a strong leadership record; and
• has an intellect and academic record that fits with the proposed graduate study
• submits a quality application: consistency of responses, presentation and writing, etc.

Service Requirement. All candidates should be aware that the Truman Scholarship has a newly instituted service requirement. Scholars selected from 2005 on are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a Foundation funded graduate degree program as a condition of receiving Truman funds. Scholars who do not meet this service requirement, or who fail to provide timely proof to the Foundation of such employment, will be required to repay funds received along with interest. The Foundation will have an appeals process for special circumstances.

Bowdoin’s Internal Selection Process. Interested students should contact the Office of Student Fellowships and Research and request that they be registered in the Truman on-line system. Once registration is complete, students will receive an email with log-in instructions.

The College is allowed to nominate up to four Bowdoin students annually for the Truman Scholarship. The Selection Committee will review the materials listed below, and those applicants deemed competitive will be scheduled for an interview. To be considered, applicants must bring five collated packets of the following materials to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research by the “Initial Bowdoin Deadline” (see above). Based on these materials and the interviews, the Committee will decide which students will receive Bowdoin’s nomination.

Materials for Final Consideration. Bowdoin can nominate up to four students. If you receive Bowdoin’s nomination, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your materials. By the Final Bowdoin Deadline:

More about the Selection Process. On February 16, 2010, the Foundation will post a list of finalists on their Web site. Between 60 and 65 finalist will be interviewed in various locations around the country throughout March 2010. Names of the 2010 Truman Scholars will be posted on the Foundation’s Web site by the end of March 2010.

Please note that applicants are responsible for all photocopying needed for the internal selection process and as required by the foundation.