Transcript HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP WWW.TRUMAN.GOV Melissa Hatfield Riggs NAU Truman Representative and National Scholarship Coordinator NAU.EDU/NISF.

HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP
WWW.TRUMAN.GOV
Melissa Hatfield Riggs
NAU Truman Representative and
National Scholarship Coordinator
NAU.EDU/NISF
TRUMAN MISSION
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship
Foundation supports the graduate
education of outstanding young people
who are already making a difference and
who are committed to becoming a
“change agent” in government and other
public service leadership careers.
HOW MANY APPLY
Approximately 600 candidates are nominated
by their university.
Approximately 200 are chosen as finalists to
be interviewed.
Approximately 55-65 will be selected as
Truman Scholars.
TRUMAN BENEFITS
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Up to $30,000 toward educational expenses to fund a public service-related
graduate degree at the accredited institution of your choice (national and
international)
Truman Scholars Leadership Week: an introduction to Truman services,
professional development activities, and networking
The Summer Institute: an 8-week internship program that brings Truman
Scholars to Washington, DC for the summer following graduation from college
The Truman-Albright Fellows Program permits Truman Scholars to remain
employed in Washington, DC for a year or two between undergrad and graduate
school and keeps them engaged in community-building and professional
development programming
In 2013, the Foundation launched two new programs - Truman Democracy
Fellows and Truman Governance Fellows - for Truman Scholars of all ages
interested in running for office or serving in high-level appointed office,
respectively
Special opportunities for employment with the federal government
PRESTIGE!
SERVICE REQUIREMENT
Scholars are required to work in public service
for 3 of the 7 years following completion of a
Foundation-funded graduate degree program
as a condition of receiving funding.
EXAMPLES OF CAREER GOALS SOUGHT
The Foundation seeks students who desire careers in such public service
positions as:
• managers, administrators, and analysts in federal, state, and local
agencies
• legislators, aides to legislators, and staff for legislative committees
• foreign service officers and staff in international development and
assistance organizations
• professional staff in nonprofit and advocacy organizations, for example
to serve disadvantaged groups or to protect the environment
• analysts and researchers for think tanks and policy research and
development organizations
• attorneys for government agencies and legislative bodies
• teachers in public and private schools
PUBLIC SERVICE
The Foundation defines public service as:
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employment in government at any level
uniformed services
public-interest organizations
nongovernmental research and/or educational organizations
public and private schools
public service-oriented nonprofit organizations
EXAMPLES OF SUPPORTED DEGREES
Truman supports graduate degrees or equivalents such as:
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a master's degree or a doctorate in fields in which most graduates go into
public service,
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a professional degree such as a law degree,
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or a Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Health, Master of
Social Work, Master of Education, Master of Public Policy, or Master of
International Affairs.
The Foundation does not give priority to candidates seeking MBAs or MDs
unless they can demonstrate a strong public policy or public health
interest.
DEFERRAL
Scholarship/Grad School Deferral:
• Truman Scholars may defer, for up to four years,
Foundation support for their graduate studies after
completion of their undergraduate studies.
•Scholars in graduate study programs supported by other
means and Scholars in the Armed Forces may request
additional years of deferral.
TRUMAN ELIGIBILITY
Must be:
• A full-time junior-level student at a 4-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree
during the 2015-2016 academic year. “Junior” here means a student who plans to
continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate
degree between December 2016 and August 2017,
• OR students with senior-level standing who will graduate after only three years of
college enrollment. (Residents of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Pacific
Islands must have senior-level academic standing.)
• In the upper quarter of his or her class; and
• A US citizen, or a US national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands. Resident aliens (green card holders) are not eligible.
TRUMAN ELIGIBILITY, CONTINUED
A good candidate for the Truman Scholarship also:
• has an extensive record of public, government, campus, and/or
community service
• has outstanding leadership potential and communication skills
• is committed to a career in government or elsewhere in public
service, as defined by the Foundation
• has a strong academic record with likely acceptance to the
graduate school of the candidate’s choice
• has a high probability of becoming a “change agent”
PARTS OF THE APPLICATION
Applications include:
• Online application form, including short
essays plus formal policy proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Unofficial Transcript
• A nomination letter from NAU
The faculty rep uploads your letters and transcript.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
1. one for leadership (must link with leadership
experience addressed in question 7)
2. one for commitment to public service
3. one for academic excellence
See sample letter forms for extra description:
www.truman.gov/sample-application-materials
FINALIST CRITERIA
Finalists are selected from the written
application on the basis of:
• extent and quality of community service and government
involvement;
• leadership record;
• academic performance, writing and analytical skills;
• suitability of the nominee's proposed program of study for
a career in public service.
SCHOLAR CRITERIA
Regional selection panels interview Finalists and
select Truman Scholars largely on the basis of:
• leadership potential and communication skills
• intellectual strength and analytical ability
• likelihood of “making a difference” in public
service
TO APPLY OR NOT TO APPLY…
Start with “Are You a Potential Truman Scholar” at
www.truman.gov/candidates/how-become-truman-scholar/
NAU INTERNAL DEADLINE REQUIREMENTS
Interested students are required to provide partial application
materials by the NAU internal deadline:
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simple info form
a detailed resume
unofficial transcript
names, contact email, relationship for three probable reference
letter writers
5. draft answers to questions 9 and 12-14
6. a draft of the policy proposal
(Handout on requirements available from Melissa)
NAU INTERNAL PROCESS
• Send partial application materials to [email protected] by
Nov 2, 2015 to meet the NAU internal deadline.
• Complete application online by no later than Dec 14, 2015.
• An NAU selection committee will select the most competitive
candidates to be officially nominated by NAU and go forward with
the competition.
• Nominees should work with a policy specialist on the Truman
policy proposal, as well as an additional academic mentor.
• We require a major revision of the application online Jan 5, 2016.
Ongoing revised drafts are required weekly.
• After additional feedback, finalists should be prepared to do more
revision before the final NAU submission deadline of Jan 26, 2016.
FULL TIMELINE
NAU Internal Deadline (partial materials)
Nov 2, 2015
Complete Online App and Letters
no later than Dec 14, 2015
Weekly revisions
Final feedback Jan 26 version
NAU deadline to submit final online
Jan 29, 2016
Truman Application Official Deadline
probably Feb 2, 2016 (11:59 MT)
Finalist Posting
late Feb, 2016
Regional Interviews
March 1-April 15, 2016
Scholar Posting
Mid-April, 2016
Truman Scholars Leadership Week
Late May, 2016
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS
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See www.truman.gov/sample-application-materials/ for Sample
Application/Proposal materials
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See www.truman.gov/candidates/advice-guidance for excellent application
advice and examples
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Also see nau.edu/NISF>Tips for Application for more excellent application
advice!!!
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Note that recommendation letter forms are targeted: academic, leadership, and
commitment to public service. Talk with Melissa about who to choose, and
recommend that writers see nau.edu/NISF>Tips for Recommenders. Send letter
drafts first to Melissa before they upload!
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(You check nau.edu/NISF>Tips for Applications>Working with References)
FREQUENT PROBLEMS IN APPLICATIONS
Candidates often fail to advance because of:
• little evidence of leadership
• lack of sustained community service involvement
• poor use of questions 7, 10 and especially 14 to reveal their interests,
values, and motivation
• failure to follow directions or suggestions on the Foundation's website
• seeking careers that do not fit the Foundation's definition of public service
or that are not likely to affect public policies or education programs
• graduate study proposals lacking specifics on what they plan to study,
which institution they hope to attend, and some discussion of the major
courses.
CONTACT INFO
Melissa Hatfield Riggs
(928) 523-6357
[email protected]
Cowden, Bldg #38 (for now)
--enter through Honors main office
facing the Union