Truman Scholarship: http://www.truman.gov/
The Truman Scholarship awards merit-based $30,000 scholarships to college juniors who are US citizens/nationals and who plan to pursue careers in government or in public service (broadly defined), and who wish to attend graduate or professional school to help prepare for their careers. Scholars may attend graduate or professional school in the United States or internationally. Applicants should be “change agents,” with a demonstrated passion for improving the ways that government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or educational institutions serve the public. Applicants should be active participants in two or more of the following types of activities:
- Student government and/or campus-based extracurricular activities
- Community service-related activities
- Government internships, commissions or boards, advocacy or interest groups, political activities, military/ROTC
The Truman Scholarship accepts nominations from institutions – students may not apply independently. To apply to be one of Penn’s nominees, you must complete the application steps by Penn’s Internal Application Deadline of November 3, 2025, at 4:00 pm US Eastern Time.
- Send a completed Truman Activities Inventory to Walter Lohmann (wlohmann@upenn.edu) as soon as possible. Note, this is non-evaluative, it is mainly an opportunity to start brainstorming for application materials, and to give CURF the necessary information to add you to the Truman application portal. You can meet with Walter Lohmann to discuss any questions about application processes or materials after completing this form.
- Request your Letters of Recommendation via the CURF Truman Scholarship Nomination Request (see additional information below)
- Complete the Truman Application by Penn's Internal Application Deadline, click "Send Application to Advisor for Review" within the application form, download a PDF of this application (by clicking "PDF" on the Truman portal homepage), and submit all required materials via the CURF Truman Scholarship Nomination Request (including the application PDF and UNOFFICIAL transcript from Penn. If you are a TRANSFER student, you must also upload your UNOFFICIAL transcript from previous undergraduate institution).
- Interviews with the campus nominating committee will take place in mid-November.
Letters of Recommendation
The Truman Scholarship requires three recommendations. Applicants must register their referees using CURF's Truman Scholarship Nomination Request (registrations begin mid to late September). Referees then upload their recommendations to the CURF system, and CURF ultimately submits those recommendations to the Truman Foundation on behalf of endorsed applicants.
The Truman application requires that each referee emphasize one of the following aspects of the applicant’s candidacy; Leadership, Public Service, and Academic (one recommendation/referee per category so that all three are covered). Applicants must inform CURF of the category for which each referee is writing.
Contact Information
Walter Lohmann: wlohmann@upenn.edu
Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships
College Hall G08/9
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Details:
Location
USA, United Kingdom, International (Not UK), Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East
Type
Graduate Study
Eligibility
Junior