The Harry S. Truman Scholarship

ETSU Faculty Representative:    

Dr. Daryl Carter
Assistant Professor of History
Office:  108 Rogers Stout

Phone: (423) 439-7429

Email: carterda@etsu.edu

Website: http://www.truman.gov

Award: Up to $30,000 tuition assistance towards a masters degree, law degree, doctorate, or professional degree applicable to a career in public service. In addition to the monetary scholarship, students will receive enhanced access to graduate programs and governmental internships, assistance in applying to other scholarship and fellowship programs, and counseling in career and professional development.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be US citizens, pursuing a bachelors degree, and of junior-level standing (i.e. degree will be completed the academic year following the one in which the application is made). Applicants must be interested in a career of public service and have an excellent record of community outreach, great potential of leadership, and a fine academic record.

When to Apply: Applications are usually due to the faculty representative by early January.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation is committed to helping shape the next generation of America's leaders and "agents of change." Each year, the Foundation grants roughly 65 scholarships to college juniors who are committed to public service careers, including those within the government, the educational system, and the non-profit and advocacy sectors. Applicants for the scholarship should have an extensive record of campus and community service, exceptional leadership potential, and excellent communication skills, as well as a strong desire to make a difference through public service. All students chosen as a finalist on the national level will be asked to take part in an interview with a regional review panel (most likely in March, and in Nashville).  

If a student receives and accepts the scholarship, they are required to take part in two programs the summer before they begin graduate school. The Truman Scholar Leadership Week is an orientation to the program usually held in late May. Typically directly following is the Truman Summer Institute - a nine-week program in Washington DC whose centerpiece is an internship with a federal government agency, non-profit, or other public service organization. Candidates should also be aware that the Truman Scholarship now requires Truman Scholars to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a Foundation-funded graduate degree program.  Scholars who do not meet this service requirement will be required to repay funds received along with interest. 

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