The US Congress established The Truman Foundation in 1975 based on President Truman’s idea of creating a country that values public service. President Truman was the 33rd president of the United States and The Truman Foundation serves as the official living memorial of the president and a presidential monument to public service.
The Truman Foundation awards the Truman Scholarship which is the highest graduate scholarship in the United States for students aspiring to careers in public service leadership. The Scholarship targets young Americans who are making a difference and will eventually hold leadership roles in the American public sector.
Host Schools
The scholarship is hosted by all American universities offering graduate degree programs in public service. This covers a wide range of academic disciplines, including economics, education, government, history, international relations, law, political science, public administration, nonprofit management, public health, and public policy.
Value/Inclusions
The Foundation awards up to $30,000 to Scholars in addition to providing opportunities for internships and employment with the American federal government.
The internship program provides beneficiaries with the opportunity to be invited to the eight-week Summer Institute in Washington, DC, which includes seminars, workshops, and meetings with policymakers. Beneficiaries also attend the Truman Scholars Leadership Week, where they have the opportunity to network with notable Truman alumni and others. The Truman Foundation will also set up internships with nonprofits and governmental institutions.
Requirements
Applicant should be:
- American Samoa residents who are US citizens, US nationals, or who will be US citizens by the time of the award;
- Currently enrolled at a US-based accredited institution;
- In their second to last year of high 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,
- Wishing to pursue a career in public service and intending to enroll in graduate school. Candidates do not need to commit to attending immediately because the Foundation promotes time between undergraduate and graduate study.
Applicant can be:
- Pursuing any major likely to lead to a public service career;
- Any age;
- Interested in any graduate degree other than the MBA; and,
- Considering either domestic or international programs for their graduate education.
Scholars are required to:
- Attend Truman Scholars Leadership Week as a condition of receiving the award. If you cannot attend, you should not apply for the award;
- File annual reports with the Foundation until funding is complete;
- File a graduate school proposal in advance of receiving Truman funding (this proposal does not need to be for the same program described in their application);
- File an employment report for three of seven years after graduation from a Foundation-funded graduate program. If Scholars are unable to work in public service for this period, they may be subject to paying back their funding.
How to Apply
Candidates interested in applying for a Truman Scholarship should carefully study the information provided on the scholarship website (https://www.truman.gov/apply/) (particularly the rules for recommendations) and submit a Pre-Application Form by November 2026.
It is advised that applicants submit the pre-application as soon as they decide to apply rather than waiting until the November 28 deadline. When the Office of Student Fellowships receives your pre-application, it will register you on the Truman website and send you an email with login information so you may access the current application.
You will complete the online Truman Scholarship application between submitting your pre-application and the on-campus deadline of 12 p.m. Central Time on January, 2027. During this time, you will be required to speak with Marynel Ryan Van Zee, the director of student fellowships, and you are welcome to share your application materials with her for comments and revision recommendations.
You should therefore note that by 12 p.m. Central Time on January, 2026, you are expected to complete the following three steps to meet the on-campus deadline:
- PDF copy of application should be emailed to fellowships@carleton.edu ;
- Ask the Registrar to provide a digital copy of your transcript to fellowships@carleton.edu.; and
- Make sure your referees have sent the three necessary letters of recommendation to fellowships@carleton.edu, each of which should address one of the three Truman requirements.
Acceptance Rate
Truman Scholarship normally awards 55 to 65 scholarships out of the over 800 applications received. However, this excludes students who compete for one of a school’s four nominations on their own campus. Hence, the acceptance rate is low.
Deadline
Before applying, please review the following dates as the Foundation will not intertain any request for modification of dates.
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- February 2, 2027: Application and nomination materials due to the Foundation.
- February 8, 2027: Foundation confirms receipt of materials.
- February 15, 2027: Finalists are notified.
- February 18, 2027: Finalist interview confirmation due (9:00 AM ET).
- February 19, 2027: Finalists announced publicly.
- March 1 – April 15, 2027: Regional review panel interviews.
For a more information on interview dates and locations, please refer to Regional Review Panels at https://www.truman.gov/apply/finalists/regional-review-panels. Candidates must show up for the interview on the day and time that match their home address on their application.
Contacts
For enquiry you can reach Tara Yglesias at tyglesias@truman.gov with any inquiries.
Address for correspondence:
712 Jackson Place NW,
Washington, DC 20503.
Please note that Email is the best way to get in touch with the office because mail to the aforementioned location is frequently severely delayed.
Website: www.truman.gov
Phone: (202) 395 4831