Truman Scholarship

The Foundation provides:

• Up to $30,000 in support for graduate studies toward a public service-related degree. The Foundation has supported Truman Scholars in many fields of study, 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, nonprofit management, public health, and public policy;
• Truman Scholars Leadership Week. This event, held at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, introduces new Scholars to the services provided by the Foundation and the many pathways to public service.  Scholars participate in seminars and workshops with distinguished Truman alumni and other public service leaders, a policy analysis project, a graduate school and career fair with representatives from the schools and programs most attended by Truman Scholars, and community service events in the Kansas City area.  This event is mandatory for all students selected as Truman Scholars;
• Summer Institute. Immediately after college graduation, Scholars have the opportunity to participate in a ten-week long Summer Institute in Washington, DC.  The Foundation arranges (paid) internships with government agencies and nonprofit organizations, seminars and workshops, meetings with Washington policymakers and Truman alumni, and opportunities for community building among Scholars;
• Truman Fellows Program. After Summer Institute, Scholars may elect to stay on in Washington, DC for a full year in the Truman Fellows Program.  Scholars are placed in public service jobs – most with the federal government – while participating in a graduate level public policy course, mentoring opportunities, and a community service program.
• 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 student pursuing a bachelor's degree with junior-level academic standing; or, a full-time student with senior-level standing in his or her third year of college enrollment.
• 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.
• Applicants should be aware that the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs is involved with the campus review process.  Students with serious social or academic violations, such as those that are included as part of their permanent record at Bowdoin, are advised to consult with the Director of Student Fellowships and Research early in the process.  Students may also consult with their dean for guidance.

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

• has an extensive record of public and community service;
• has outstanding leadership potential and communication skills; and
• is committed to a career in government or elsewhere in public service, as defined by the Foundation.

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.

Service Requirement. All candidates should be aware that the Truman Scholarship has a service requirement. 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.  Scholars who are not employed in public service for a total of three years, or who fail to provide proof to the Foundation of such employment, will be required to repay any funds received along with interest.  The Foundation will have an appeals process for those Scholars in special circumstances.

Bowdoin’s Internal Selection Process. Interested students should contact Cindy Stocks in the Office of Student Fellowships and Research and request that they be registered in the Truman online 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 submit 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.

Electronically submit:

• A completed application through the Truman website. On the initial Bowdoin deadline, our office will pull your application from the online system to share with the campus committee. 
• Unofficial academic history from Polaris
• Signed and witnessed "Permission Form and Waiver"

The items listed above should be saved as PDFs and electronically submitted to Gina Pappas (gpappas@bowdoin.edu).

• One draft letter of recommendation that confirms and elaborates on the leadership example the candidate described in item 7 on the official Truman application. The recommender should address the candidate’s personal characteristics (confidence, persuasiveness, diligence, conviction, vitality, poise, and so forth) which the recommender believes contributes to the candidate’s leadership abilities. 
• Recommenders should email letters directly to Gina Pappas by the "Initial Bowdoin Deadline." Note, if a candidate is selected as one of Bowdoin's four finalists, the recommender of this "leadership letter" will have an opportunity to revise it before the final Bowdoin deadline. Two additional letters of recommendation will be required by the final Bowdoin deadline: one letter writer should address the applicant's "intellect and prospects for continuing academic success and the second letter writer should focus on the applicant's "commitment to public service."

Materials for the Final Application. 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:

• The nominee must electronically submit a completed application form, which includes:
  • questions 1 - 14
  • policy proposal (approximately 500 words)
  • official transcript
  • three letters of recommendation
• The Office of Student Fellowships and Research will be responsible for:
  • confirming your eligibility in the online system
  • electronically submitting the Institution Nomination Form

More about the Selection Process. Mid-February, the Foundation will post a list of finalists on their website. Approximately 200 finalists will be interviewed in various locations around the country throughout March. Names of the 60 to 65 selected Truman Scholars will be posted on the Foundation’s website by the end of March.

Praise Hall '20

Mohamed Nur '19

Bill De La Rosa '16

A sociology and Latin American studies double-major, Bill is passionate about immigrant rights and has conducted grant-funded research on the effects of border security on undocumented migration. He is the student coordinator for the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project, a member of the national State Farm Youth Advisory Board, a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, and a John Lewis Fellow. Bill hopes to use his Truman Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy and advocate for the people whom the law considers voiceless.