Harry S. Truman Scholarship

The Truman Scholarship provides up to $30,000 for students pursuing graduate degrees in public service fields. Recipients are selected on the basis of intellectual strength, leadership potential and commitment to careers in public service, defined as “government at any level, uniformed services, public-interest organizations, nongovernmental research and/or educational organizations, and public service-oriented nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purpose is to help the disadvantaged or to protect resources.” The Truman Foundation stresses that a wide variety of disciplines, not just traditional liberal arts fields, can lead to careers in public service. They award 60 scholarships yearly, and they require scholarship recipients 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 the funds.

Benefits:

  • Up to $30,000 in funding for a public-service related graduate degree
  • Mandatory attendance at Truman Scholars Leadership Week
  • Optional attendance at Truman Summer Institute 

Eligibility:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national
  • Enrolled at an accredited institution in the U.S.
  • Be either in the penultimate year of schooling or final year of schooling during the application process
  • Planning to attend graduate school in pursuit of a degree and career in public service 

Link to complete eligibility requirements

Internal Deadline: November 3rd, 2023

National Deadline: February 6, 2024

Campus Contacts:

Mark Brewer, mark.brewer@maine.edu (Truman Scholarship Campus Advisor)

Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler, nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu (Office of Major Scholarships, Director)