The Truman Scholarship is a national merit-based scholarship open to juniors who want to make a difference through a career in public service. 

Truman Scholars receive a $30,000 award for graduate or professional school, participate in leadership development activities, and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.

The Truman Foundation defines public service as employment government at any level, uniformed services, public interest organizations, non-governmental research and/or education organizations, public and private schools, and public-service orientated nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect the environment.

Eligibility

• US Citizens, US National residents of American Samoa, or expecting their citizenship by the date of the award;
• Full-time juniors pursuing a degree during the 2025-26 academic year. “Junior” is defined as a student who plans at least one more semester of full-time undergraduate study beginning September 2025, and who expects to graduate between December 2026 and August 2027. (Students in their third year of collegiate study but who expect to graduate during the 2025-2026 academic year are also eligible to apply for the current 2025 Truman competition.)
• 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.

Selection Criteria

• An extensive record of campus and community service;
• Steadfast commitment to a career in government or elsewhere in public service;
• A well-articulated vision of how to create change in their area of interest; and,
• An academic record likely to lead to acceptance in the graduate program of the candidate’s choice.

Application Materials

URI applicants interested in the Truman Scholarship must first complete the pre-application and follow the campus application procedure below which helps them, if nominated, prepare for the final application materials as follows: 

• A letter of nomination from your institution;
• A completed application including short essays on leadership, service and your future path in public service;
• A policy proposal on a subject that interests you;
• Three letters of recommendation; one each on:
  • Leadership Abilities;
  • Commitment to a Career in Public Service; and,
  • Likelihood of Academic Success.
• A transcript.

Campus Application Procedure

• For those interested in the Truman, please complete the Student Interest form or the Alumni Interest form to receive program updates;
• Read the Truman website so you understand the eligibility and selection criteria;

The Truman Scholarship requires institutional nomination, a process coordinated by the Office of Fellowships@URI. Each U.S. institution (college or university) is limited to a maximum of four nominees per year, plus up to three transfer students for a possible maximum of seven nominees per year. Since the number of qualified candidates for nomination at URI often outnumbers this maximum number, our campus has a pre-application process to select its nominees. The campus pre-application includes:

• A list of potential letter writers (no letters are submitted at this stage)
• Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate work
• A resume
• Short answer questions

Truman Pre-application Form

Application Timeline

• There is no such thing as starting too early for the Truman Scholarship! Begin thinking about the many avenues to public service and start seeking out or making your own leadership and service opportunities on and off campus. Take academically rigorous courses, and consider the Honors Program;
• Become familiar with the Truman website;
• September – October: Consolidate materials for the Truman Pre-application form
• Campus Pre-application Deadline – The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving at 11:59 PM ET. For the 2026 competition, this will be December 2, 2025
• mid- December – Applicants will be notified of their nomination status, and those who have been nominated will schedule a meeting with Fellowships@URI to discuss their application timeline
• National Deadline – February 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
• Finalists Notified: February 16, 2026
• Finalist Confirmation Due: February 19, 2026
• Finalist Posting: February 20, 2026
• Regional Review Panels: March 2, 2026 through April 13, 2026
• Scholar Posting: April 24, 2026
• Truman Scholars Leadership Week: May 26, 2026 through May 31, 2026