Tuesday, April 14, 2009

INTERESTED IN GRADUATE SCHOOL AND A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE?

The IU spring semester deadline for the 2010 Truman Scholarship
competition is FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009.

An INFORMATION SESSION for prospective undergraduate applicants,
especially for those planning to seek nomination for the coming year's
competition, will be conducted on Tuesday, April 14, 2009,
3:00-4 p.m. in the Great Room of the Hutton Honors College, 811 E.
Seventh Street (corner of 7th and Woodlawn).

Next year, The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation is expected to
award 70-75 merit-based scholarships to students across the nation who
will be ?juniors? in 2009-10 and who plan to attend graduate or
professional school in preparation for careers in government or public
service. (See Eligibility section below for the Truman Foundation?s
definition of ?juniors.?) Each scholarship is worth $30,000 and the
Foundation assists Truman Scholars ?with career counseling, internship
placement, graduate school admissions, and professional development.?
To compete for the award, students must be nominated by their
undergraduate institutions. The IU Truman Selection/Nomination
Committee has set Friday, April 24, 2009, as the campus deadline for
current sophomores who wish to be considered for the 2010 competition.
(Interested juniors should check the eligibility requirements noted
below to determine whether or not they are also eligible for
consideration this spring.) In the past, Truman scholars have come
from such diverse fields as history, political science, international
relations, journalism, economics, education, law, public
administration, nonprofit management, physical and social sciences,
and technology policy. Truman Scholars are eligible to receive up to
$15,000 for the first year of graduate study and $15,000 for the final
year of graduate study.

The Truman Scholarship seeks to promote public service, which the
foundation defines ?as employment in government at any level,
uniformed services, public-interest organizations, non-governmental
research and/or educational organizations, public and private schools,
and public-service oriented nonprofit organizations such as those
whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or
to protect the environment.? Scholars are required to work in public
service for three of the seven years following completion of a
graduate degree program funded by the Truman.

Eligibility: To be eligible for consideration for the Truman
Scholarship, a student must have a clear commitment to a career in
public service, be in the upper quarter of his or her class, be a U.S.
Citizen or National, and be nominated by his/her university.
The student must also be a ?junior-level student,? which for the 2010
competition, we anticipate being defined as a student who plans to
continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a
baccalaureate degree between December 2010 and August 2011, or
third-year student who expects to graduate during the 2009-10 academic
year. (Residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are
eligible in their fourth year.) See http://www.truman.gov for
official eligibility criteria.

Nomination and Selection Standards: Because Truman Scholarship
attracts the interest of top candidates around the country, IU only
nominates students with outstanding credentials. The foundation
chooses scholars on the basis of their excellent academic performance
and communication skills, potential for leadership, extensive records
of public and community service, and commitment to careers in
government or elsewhere in public service. (See the Truman
Foundation?s definition of ?public service? above.) IU?s nominating
committee and the Truman Foundation selectors are looking for
candidates who show promise of making a difference in the world
through their public service.

IU Nomination Process: The IU committee will select up to four
nominees for the national 2010 Truman competition. To be considered by
the IU committee, IU students must submit a completed Truman
Scholarship application, including a 500-word policy proposal on a
significant issue related to the candidate?s intended area of public
service. Candidates must also include one of the three letters of
recommendation described in the Truman application material.
Application materials may be picked up or requested from Elaine Hehner
in the Hutton Honors College, 811 E. Seventh Street, Room 204,
Bloomington, IN 47405. For additional information on the scholarship
and guidance on the application, including the 500-word policy
proposal, see the Truman Web site: http//www.truman.gov. For
additional information on the scholarship and the IU nomination
process, contact IU?s Truman faculty representative Judy Failer,
jfailer@indiana.edu , or Elaine Hehner atehehner@indiana.edu.

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