Three University students were nominated last week for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
The three nominees from the University are third-year College student Ross Baird, third-year College student Margaret Bolton and third-year Engineering student Alison Tramba.
The Truman Scholarship is a nationally recognized government fund created in memory of the late president.
The award is focused on financing third-year students in their fourth year and continuing graduate school studies, with up to $30,000.
According to the Truman Scholarship Web site, the first scholarship was awarded in 1978 after being created by a congressional bill passed in 1975.
The application process for the Truman Scholarship is an extensive one, said Tara Yglesias, deputy executive secretary of the Truman Scholarship Foundation.
"Usually, we get about 600 applicants in the initial round, ask back 200 for interviews, then choose 70 to 75 students as scholars," Yglesias said.
Recipients are selected on the basis of a variety of qualifications, Yglesias said.
"The students chosen are of the highest degree of leadership, academic success and public service," she said.
According to Yglesias, the scholarship should not be seen as merely a résumé builder and monetary reward but as a form of recognition for the students' contributions.
"Most of the students who are chosen as scholars are driven by their true desire for public service," she said. "The scholars chosen form their own diverse community of interests and people truly devoted to public service in the present and future."
The University is not new to the Truman Scholarship program, University spokesperson Carol Wood said.
"This is a great achievement for our three students who were nominated for the Truman scholar this year," Wood said. "The University has had certainly in recent years a good track record with this program, something that we hope will continue with this year's nominations."
Fourth-year College student Catherine Neale, who was awarded the Truman Scholarship in 2005, said it is a long procedure from the nomination to the final awarding of the scholarships.
"It's a great process -- you learn a lot about yourself, about who you are and what you want to do," Neale said. "U.Va has an incredible record with Truman scholarships. I think that we develop the sort of student that is ideal for a Truman scholarship."
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