The Harry S. Truman Scholarship

Award details

The Truman Scholarship is a very competitive national award. The Truman Scholarship supports students seeking careers in public service at a leadership level. It provides $30,000 for graduate study. Candidates who are a good fit for the Truman are generally seeking careers in an institution with the web addresses or .org, .edu, .mil or .gov. K-State students have won Truman Scholarships five out of six years since 2019.

Each U.S. university can nominate up to 4 candidates. The Foundation reviews over 800 applications for our 55 to 65 Scholarships awarded annually. These applications do not include students competing on their campus for one of a school's four nominations.

Although the award is competitive, we believe that the application process can be valuable regardless of the outcome. The process of applying includes exploring and refining your past experiences and future goals. You will be asked to consider various paths in service and encouraged to be ambitious. Along the way, you can expect to strengthen your writing, your relationships with mentors, and your knowledge of your chosen field. These skills do not vanish when your Truman journey ends. Applying for a competitive award, like Truman or many others, helps you to prepare more competitive graduate school applications and be more comfortable in stressful interview formats. You may also meet friends, mentors, and future collaborators along the way.

Eligibility

• U.S. Citizens, U.S. National residents of American Samoa, or expecting their citizenship by the date of the award;
• Currently enrolled at a U.S.-based accredited institution;
• In their penultimate year of school (for candidates graduating in four years or more) or in their final year of school (for candidates graduating in three years or fewer);
• Nominated by either their current institution of study or their former institution of study for transfer or community college applicants. Schools are limited to four nominees plus three additional transfer nominations; and,
• Planning to attend graduate school in pursuit of a career in public service. The Foundation encourages time between undergraduate and graduate school, so candidates need not commit to going immediately.

K-State campus application

• After accessing the campus application in the link above, contact sdur@ksu.edu for the reference waiver form

 

Application timeline

Campus deadline: April 11, 2025