Harry S. Truman Scholarship · 2027

Eligibility & application

Required enrollment and timing: Apply through a U.S.-based accredited institution for the 2027 award. The current bulletin requires a full-time junior-level bachelor’s student at a four-year institution during 2026–2027, normally expecting graduation December 2027–August 2028 while continuing full-time undergraduate study, or a third-year student graduating during 2026–2027. Notes for Advisors require at least two years of academic credit by February 2, 2027. General guidance says final full year for degrees taking three years or fewer, penultimate year for degrees taking four years or more; five-year students are covered. Senior standing by credits alone is not disqualifying. Students may apply only once; a previous nominee cannot be renominated. Citizenship: U.S. citizen or U.S. national from American Samoa. Permanent residence alone is insufficient. The live Eligibility page and applicant FAQ allow a student expecting U.S. citizenship by the award date; the bulletin states the citizen/national condition. Confirm this conditional eligibility with the advisor and Foundation before applying. Study abroad, a leave of absence, a full-time internship, or an enrollment reduction for financial reasons can be considered if the institution is willing to nominate; adjust the application year if graduation timing changes. Studying abroad does not automatically waive the finalist interview requirement. Academic requirement discrepancy: The live 2027 Bulletin of Information lists being in the upper quarter of the class as a required condition. Its linked 2026–2027 PDF omits that condition and instead describes academic achievement likely to secure admission to the proposed graduate program. The general Eligibility page also omits the class-rank condition; the FAQ emphasizes challenging coursework and leadership/service rather than a perfect GPA. Both versions are retained here: ask your campus advisor or the Foundation to confirm the applicable class-rank rule. No numeric minimum GPA, age limit or mandatory undergraduate major is stated. Any age and major may be considered. Nomination and transfer rules: Secure the campus nomination first. A four-year institution may nominate four students plus three additional transfer students. The advisor FAQ generally defines a transfer as a semester or more of coursework at another institution, excluding college courses taken in high school. A two-year institution may nominate up to four former students who are full-time juniors at accredited four-year institutions by February 2, 2027. Transfer/community-college applicants may use their current or former institution’s nomination process. Institutional registration may include more candidates for an internal competition, but only advisor-approved submissions count as national nominations. Campus deadlines and selection methods vary and can precede the national cutoff. Use the Advisor Locator; if no advisor is listed, a faculty or staff member must arrange the institutional appointment. Selection strengths and preferences: Demonstrate substantial public/community service, leadership and communication skills, a realistic ambitious public-service career, and preparation for the proposed graduate degree. Leadership means impact beyond holding a title. Grades alone do not substitute for service. Explain how research, science, technology or arts work will contribute to public service. The advisor notes prioritize MPA/MPP, JD, MEd, MIA, MSW, MPH and degrees whose graduates commonly enter public service; other degrees, domestic or international, can be supported when the career connection is clear. MBAs are rarely funded but can be considered with a persuasive public-service connection. These degree preferences are not a compulsory major or a promise of admission. Explain health, family, financial or other limits on opportunities through the application and supporting letters. Required materials and online process: Institutional nomination letter; candidate application and short essays; a policy proposal; three additional recommendation letters covering leadership, commitment to public service and prospects for academic success; and transcripts. The advisor registers the student, who receives emailed access instructions. The advisor uploads supporting materials and approves submission to the Foundation. Official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable if readable, authentic and accurate; use the no-cost option when available. Separate prior-institution transcripts are unnecessary if the current transcript includes institution names, dates and grades; a study-abroad transcript delay can be addressed through an advisor’s coursework letter and later transcript. Printed national submissions are not accepted. Sample PDF/Word forms are planning references, with different response space and old approval stamps; use the current online limits and instructions. Application limits and writing: Count spaces in character limits. Summer Institute response: 900 characters. Q1: six institutions. Q2: eight college and four high-school activities; Q3–Q6: six activities each. Q7: 2,000; Q8: 1,700; Q9: 1,500; Q10: three entries of 250 each; Q11: 1,700; Q12 and Q13: 1,500 each; Q14: 2,000 characters. List activities by significance and present a coherent connection between service, graduate study and career plans. Policy proposal: approximately 500 words excluding references, with 2,000 characters for each of its three sections; the current notes say no more than 500 words, while sample guidance says not greatly beyond 500 even when within character limits. Follow the tighter guidance and confirm in the online system. Address an official with actual authority, explain the problem, proposed action and implementation obstacles, support claims with credible data and citations. Images cannot be uploaded into the proposal. Recommendations and authenticity: Letters should corroborate the relevant leadership/service examples and academic prospects. Having the academic recommender teach the student is recommended, not compulsory; non-university service/leadership recommenders are welcome and often preferred. Specific recent observations matter more than a famous name. Request letters early and send them to the advisor for upload. Recommendation request forms are optional. Two pages or fewer is recommended, without a hard word/character cap. The application must remain the student’s work. Current announcements permit AI for clarification or condensation, prohibit AI first drafts, require verification of generated facts/citations, warn against losing the applicant’s voice, and request no AI tools during a Zoom interview. Residence and finalist interviews: Competition and regional assignment use permanent residence, generally two of school-registration home address, parents’ address and voter registration; unusual cases need Foundation clarification. Finalists must attend their assigned home-state panel and cannot freely select another date. Exceptions, accommodations or virtual interviews require the advisor/Foundation; ordinary travel assistance is generally unavailable, and finalists should consult their school. Interviews last about 20 minutes; keep the day available and bring photo ID where required. Recent headshot/biography requests arrive before interview. Optional pre-interview dinners are recommended, not mandatory; meal costs are generally covered by the Truman Scholars Association. Interview outcomes cannot be appealed, and individual feedback is not supplied. Published regional schedule, conditional on assignment: All dates below are in 2027. Atlanta (FL/GA/SC): March 5; Austin (LA/TX), LBJ School: March 8; Boston (CT/ME/MA/NH/VT), Federal Reserve: March 31; Chicago (IL/IN/MI), Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila: March 24; Denver (CO/NE/OK/WY), Federal Reserve: March 17; Kansas City (IA/KS/MO), Federal Reserve: March 22; Minneapolis (MN/ND/SD/WI): March 26; Nashville (AL/AR/KY/MS/TN), Fred D. Thompson federal courthouse: March 19; New York (NY/RI), Fund for the City of New York: April 2; Philadelphia (DE/NJ/PA), James A. Byrne federal courthouse: April 5; Phoenix (AZ/NV/NM/UT), Arizona State University: March 15; San Francisco (CA/HI), Stuart Foundation: March 12; Seattle (AK/ID/MT/OR/WA), City Hall: March 10; Washington DC I (DC/NC/VA), Kellogg Hansen law firm: March 3; Washington DC II (MD/OH/WV), DC Superior Court: April 7. These panels convene at 9 a.m. local time. San Juan (PR) is virtual March 29 at 9 a.m. local time. Washington DC III (Guam/CNMI/remaining territories, generally including American Samoa and USVI) is virtual March 2 at 8:30 a.m. ChST, equivalently March 1 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. Locations and assignments may change; check the regional page and individual invitation. These alternatives are reference information, not seventeen personal calendar appointments. 2027 dates and source limits: National package due February 2 at 11:59 p.m. in the applicant’s time zone; a precise zone must be confirmed before exporting that cutoff as a timed reminder. Finalist confirmation is February 18 at 9 a.m. Eastern. Advisor notes give finalist/scholar posting by 9 p.m. on February 19/April 23 without a time zone; those clocks remain unspecified. Current dedicated webinar schedule and the advisor page support January 20, 2027 at 2 p.m. Eastern for Office Hours; a separate announcements page incorrectly calls that date Thursday. Confirm with the registered dashboard before attending. Advisor-only October 21 and finalist/advisor February 24 webinars retain those audience labels. No fixed campus deadline, application opening day, individual interview slot or 2028 Summer Institute dates are published here. Award obligations and benefits: Required Leadership Week is May 25–30, 2027 at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, with Kansas City-area activities; do not apply if unable to attend. File annual reports until funding is complete and submit a graduate-study proposal before disbursement. Scholars must perform three years of public-service work within seven years after completing a Foundation-funded graduate degree and provide employment reports; repayment with interest can apply, with an appeals process for special circumstances. Funding can be withheld for unsatisfactory academics or failure to prepare for public service. Graduate funding may be deferred up to four years, with possible additional deferral for other funded study or military service. Optional eight-week Summer Institute in Washington, DC follows college graduation; the current application asks about summer 2028 plans, not a confirmed dated placement. Optional Truman-Albright/further programs follow selection and have separate arrangements. National eligibility does not give every applicant a Missouri or DC placement.

Nationwide · permanent-residence regional interviews; required Leadership Week in Liberty, Missouri · national · open

Education level: undergraduate

Scholarship / funding: Up to $30,000 toward a public service-related graduate degree; not described as employment salary. Approved tuition, fees, books, room/board and other expressly approved expenses; the FAQ caps books at $1,000. Combined awards may supplement each other but cannot exceed the institution’s education costs. Application fees are not stated; no free-application guarantee is inferred. Finalist travel assistance is generally unavailable and housing/travel for every scholar activity is not guaranteed.

Prepare a substantial campus-nominated application and attend the assigned regional finalist interview if selected. Required Leadership Week May 25–30, 2027; annual reports and a pre-funding graduate proposal. Three years of public-service work within seven years after the funded graduate degree. Optional post-graduation Summer Institute lasts eight weeks; no exact 2028 dates are confirmed.

Published dates

Unannounced dates are kept pending. Dated history is included when you add a program; reminders apply to future dates. Date-only events do not have an invented cutoff time. The organizer confirms final eligibility and availability.

Official evidence