Harry S. Truman Scholarship for Public Service

To apply for Harvard's nomination, applicants must:

• Be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals residing in American Samoa, or expect to receive U.S. citizenship by the date of the award;
• Be currently enrolled at Harvard College;
• Be in their penultimate year of study (typically, a Harvard College junior);
• Be in the upper quarter of their class. Because Harvard does not rank students, candidates with a GPA of 3.7 or higher are likely to meet this criterion;
• Plan to attend graduate school in pursuit of a career in public service.

Applicants may pursue any major, may be any age, and may plan to attend a domestic or international graduate program. Public service includes employment in government, the uniformed services, public-interest organizations, nongovernmental research or educational organizations, schools, and public-service-oriented nonprofit organizations. See the Truman Foundation’s full eligibility requirements.

Applicants must review and abide by the URAF Principles and Policies for Applicants.

Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 toward a public service-related graduate or professional degree, participate in Truman Scholars Leadership Week and other leadership-development activities, and may access opportunities such as the eight-week Summer Institute, internships, and employment with the federal government and other public-service organizations.

Candidates should demonstrate a significant and sustained commitment to public service and leadership. Harvard’s selection process considers:

• The extent and quality of community service and government involvement;
• Leadership record;
• Academic performance, writing, and analytical skills; and
• The suitability of the proposed program of study for a career in public service.

The Foundation defines public service as employment in government at any level, the uniformed services, public-interest organizations, nongovernmental research or educational organizations, public and private schools, and public-service-oriented nonprofit organizations.

Harvard reviews submitted applications and invites a shortlist of candidates to interview. Following the interviews, Harvard selects its nominees, typically in early December. Nominees then work with Harvard advisors to revise and strengthen their application materials before submitting them for the national competition by the Foundation’s deadline.

Please complete the following pieces of your application by our internal deadline and share them with us via the Harvard University Funding Portal (link below).

• Download the sample application forms and the sample Policy Memo from the Truman website. Answer all questions and compose the memo. Upload both the form and the memo in the application attachment section.
• Solicit three letters of recommendation within the Harvard University Funding Portal.
  • One must be written by someone who can attest to the applicant’s commitment to a career in public service.
  • Another must be written by a  faculty member familiar with the applicant’s scholarship, intellectual capabilities and prospects for success in graduate school
  • The third must come from someone who can confirm and elaborate upon the leadership example the candidate described in Item 7.
  • Note well, it is common for recommenders to talk about many qualities in their letters, but each of these should have a focus, as indicated. Within the system, you will designate them accordingly, but please ask your references to indicate which of these aspects of your candidacy they are addressing in their letters and to do so in the opening paragraph.
• Transcripts for any undergraduate institutions attended. Download your unofficial transcript from my.harvard.edu. Must include current term courses.