Scholarship GuidesThe Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is Stanford University's flagship graduate fellowship, funding exceptional students from around the world to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford while taking part in a leadership-focused scholar community. The program admits up to 100 scholars each year across every field, from PhDs in engineering to law, medicine, and the MBA. The award is designed to develop leaders who can address complex global challenges with courage and creativity.
This guide explains how Knight-Hennessy Scholars works, what it covers, who can apply, and the one structural detail that confuses many applicants: it requires two separate applications, one to Knight-Hennessy and one to your Stanford degree program.
Key takeaways
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars funds up to three years of graduate study at Stanford, covering tuition, fees, a living stipend, health insurance, and a travel allowance.
- It is open to applicants of any nationality pursuing any full-time Stanford graduate degree, including PhD, master's, and professional programs.
- You must submit two applications: one to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and a separate application to your Stanford graduate program.
- The Knight-Hennessy application typically opens in June and closes in early October.
- Selection is holistic, emphasising independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset.
What is Knight-Hennessy Scholars?
Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a university-wide graduate fellowship. Instead of funding a single field, it gathers scholars from all of Stanford's graduate schools into one cohort that includes weekly gatherings, workshops, and mentoring. Scholars gain the financial freedom to focus on their degree and the community to develop as leaders.
The program is named for Philip H. Knight and John Hennessy, who helped fund it, and it is deliberately multidisciplinary. The value comes partly from the award and partly from the community: PhD scientists sit alongside law students, medical researchers, and engineers.
What does the award cover?
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars award is comprehensive. It typically covers full tuition and associated fees for your Stanford degree, a stipend for living and academic expenses, health insurance, and a travel allowance to support study-related travel. For doctoral programs the award is renewable for up to three years of support; for shorter degrees it covers the full program duration.
The exact composition of the package is confirmed when you are offered the award, and you should verify current details on the official website, khn.stanford.edu.
Eligibility
Knight-Hennessy Scholars is open to applicants of every nationality, with no quotas by country or field. To be eligible you must:
- Apply to a full-time Stanford graduate degree program for which you meet the admissions requirements.
- Demonstrate an excellent academic record and strong leadership potential.
- Not already hold a doctoral degree, in most cases.
There is no age limit, which makes the program unusual among prestigious fellowships. Both new applicants to any eligible Stanford program and current first-year Stanford PhD students can apply in the appropriate cycle.
Two applications, not one
The defining structural feature of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is that it requires two separate applications, and they are not optional alternatives:
- The Knight-Hennessy Scholars application. This is the fellowship application, with essays, short answers, a resume, recommendation letters, and a video statement. It asks you to make your case for selection as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.
- The Stanford graduate program application. This is your standard application for admission to your chosen degree program at Stanford, with its own requirements and deadlines.
Both must be completed in the same cycle. One strong application cannot substitute for the other; if either is missing or late, you are not considered.
How to apply step by step
Choose your Stanford program
Identify the full-time graduate degree you want to pursue and confirm it is eligible. Read the program's requirements and deadline carefully.
Complete the Knight-Hennessy application
Submit the fellowship application by the Knight-Hennessy deadline, including your essays, short answers, resume, recommendations, and video statement.
Complete the Stanford application
Submit your separate Stanford graduate program application by that program's deadline for Knight-Hennessy applicants, which is typically the earlier of the program deadline or early December.
Prepare for interviews
A shortlist of finalists is interviewed in early spring. The interview focuses on your goals, your thinking, and your fit with the program's values.
Receive your decision
Decisions are announced in spring. Scholars receive both admission to their Stanford program and the Knight-Hennessy award together.
Key dates
The Knight-Hennessy application typically opens in June and closes in early October, with the exact deadline announced each year. Your Stanford program application must be submitted by that program's Knight-Hennessy deadline or by early December, whichever comes first. Interviews take place in early spring and decisions are announced in spring for entry in September. Confirm all dates on khn.stanford.edu.
Tips for a competitive application
- Treat the two applications as one story told from two angles; our statement of purpose guide helps you make each one specific.
- Use the essays to show independence of thought with concrete examples, following the advice in our profile guide.
- Brief your recommenders on both programs so their letters address leadership and civic mindset; see how to get strong letters.
- Start in summer, not September; both applications involve substantial writing.
- Compare Knight-Hennessy with other funded US options on our scholarship results page.
