Knight-Hennessy scholarship at Stanford University is an important graduate scholarship that doubles as a leadership development program. It’s built for bright students from all over the world, and it brings together a multidisciplinary community of scholars from Stanford’s seven schools. While they work on an eligible full-time graduate degree, scholars receive financial support.

Applications for the 2027 cohort are open to people from any country. Citizenship, age, field of study and career aspiration place no limits on who can apply. One thing to remember, though: you have to apply separately to an eligible Stanford graduate degree program, unless you already satisfy one of the specified Stanford enrollment conditions. from any country. Citizenship, age, field of study and career aspiration place no limits on who can apply. There is one thing to remember, though: you have to apply separately to an eligible Stanford graduate degree program, unless you already satisfy one of the specified Stanford enrollment conditions.

Scholarship Quick Facts

About the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a graduate scholarship programs in multiple disciplines at Stanford University designed to build future leaders who can work across disciplines and point out complex global challenges.

Scholars become part of a different communities and participate in the King Global Leadership Program, which focuses on leadership development, collaboration, communication, creative problem-solving and personal growth.

The program spans Stanford’s seven schools and welcomes applicants from around the world. There are no quotas based on discipline or world region.

Eligible Degree Programs

Knight-Hennessy Scholars can support eligible full-time Stanford graduate programs, including:

• DMA
• JD
• MA
• MBA
• MD
• MFA
• MPP
• MS
• PhD
• Eligible joint and dual-degree programs

Some Stanford programs are excluded, including the Honors Cooperative Program, Master of Liberal Arts, JSD and MLS. Certain coterminal and current-degree combinations are also excluded. You can also search other degree programs in our website ( Undergraduate, Graduate/Master, PhD )

Eligibility Criteria

• ✅ Applicants from all countries and nationalities are encouraged to apply.
• ✅ Applicants must apply to and be accepted by an eligible full-time Stanford graduate degree program.
• ✅ For the 2027 cohort, applicants must have earned their first bachelor’s degree in January 2020 or later.
• ✅ Military applicants receive an extended bachelor’s-degree eligibility window to January 2018 or later.
• ✅ Current first-year Stanford PhD students may also apply to begin Knight-Hennessy Scholars in their second year.
• ✅ Applicants must meet the necessary admission requirements of their selected Stanford graduate program.

What Knight-Hennessy Looks For

• 💡 Independence of Thought: First, you need to show you have your own ideas. That means being curious, smart, and able to look at big problems in new ways.
• 🌟 Purposeful Leadership: Second, they want leaders who know what they want and can actually get it done. This involves having guts, bouncing back when things get tough, making the right calls ethically, and achieving something real.
• 🤝 Civic Mindset: Finally, you have to have a sense of community. Be humble, understand other people, be honest, work well with others, and genuinely want to help.

Scholarship Benefits

• 🏆 Tuition and associated fees covered through a fellowship for the supported period.
• 🏆 You also get a stipend to live on – covering room, food, books, getting around locally, and personal stuff.
• 🏆There’s a travel stipend too, for one round trip to Stanford each year, economy class. New scholars get a one-time relocation payment to help with moving or tech.
• 🏆 New scholars get a one-time relocation payment to help with moving or tech.
• 🏆 Opportunities for supplemental academic-enrichment funding during the second and third years.

Required Documents

• Online Knight-Hennessy Scholars application
• Resume
• Academic transcript
• Required test scores, where applicable
• Recommendation letters
• Short-answer responses and essays
• Separate Stanford graduate-program application and required documents

How to Apply

1. Look at the Knight-Hennessy eligibility requirements closely. Pick a full-time grad program at Stanford.

2. Choose an eligible full-time graduate degree program at Stanford University.
3. Get your KHS application, resume, transcripts, recommendation letters, and essays ready.

4. The KHS application is due October 6, 2026.

5. Your application to the Stanford program needs to be in by its deadline, which might be earlier than December 1, 2026, or that date if it works for KHS eligibility.
6. Check the specific requirements and deadline of your selected Stanford graduate program because the deadline for the Stanford varies.

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Frequently Asked Questions