The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards merit-based scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in government or other areas of public service. Recognizing excellent scholarship, leadership potential and public service commitment, Truman Scholarships provide support for graduate or professional school study toward a degree that will prepare a recipient for a public service career.
The Truman seeks candidates who:
have extensive records of public and community service;
- have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills; and
- are committed to careers in government or other areas of public service.
Each Truman Scholarship provides funding in support for graduate study toward a public service-related degree, participation in leadership development programs, and access to internships arranged by the Foundation.
2023 Applicant Webinars!
The Truman Foundation will offer the following webinars for:
- Candidates on Thursday, December 7 @ 2:00 pm ET; and
- Office hours (open to all) on Tuesday, January 9 @ 2:00 pm ET.
Information about the webinars, as well as recordings, will be available on your application dashboard page once you open an application here and then receive log in details to the official Truman portal.
Eligibility
Truman Scholarship candidates must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals who are full-time juniors at four-year undergraduate institutions and in the top quarter of their class. "Junior” here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and is in their second or third year of collegiate study who expects to graduate during the following academic year.
Candidates must also be nominated into the national competition from their undergraduate institution.
University nomination
Columbia University may nominate a total of seven eligible undergraduates for consideration each year (four traditional students and three transfer students). Students in Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and the School of General Studies who will be current juniors at the time of application are eligible. The internal campus competition places students into consideration for nomination. Students may not apply directly for this fellowship without first having been nominated.
To apply, first register your candidacy with Columbia by clicking "Start Your Application." Following this, a login to the Truman application portal will be provided by a Fellowship Advisor. All application materials, within both the URF and Truman portals, must be completed by the internal deadline provided. In addition, you should arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted directly to ugrad-urf@columbia.edu by the internal deadline as well.