Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University: What It Pays and How to Apply

What is the Knight-Hennessy Scholars programme?

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a graduate fellowship at Stanford University in the USA. Scholars receive funding for up to three years of full-time graduate study and join a multidisciplinary community drawn from all 7 schools at Stanford.

Through the King Global Leadership Program, scholars take part in community experiences, workshops, meetings with leaders, domestic and global study trips, and personal development opportunities. The aim is to help them collaborate, innovate and communicate as they prepare to address complex challenges facing society.

Up to 100 future global leaders become Knight-Hennessy scholars each year. The full listing is on our Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University page, and the official site is knight-hennessy.stanford.edu.

What does the Knight-Hennessy scholarship cover?

Funding runs for up to three years for any graduate degree or degrees at Stanford. In each of the first 3 years of graduate study, scholars receive a fellowship applied directly to cover tuition and associated fees, plus a stipend for living and academic expenses.

The stipend is meant for costs such as room and board, books, academic supplies, instructional materials, local transportation and reasonable personal expenses. Scholars also receive a travel stipend intended to cover an economy-class ticket for one annual trip to and from Stanford.

Extra funding in particular years

• Newly enrolling scholars receive a one-time relocation stipend intended to offset some of the costs of relocating to the area and/or technology purchases.
• Scholars in their second and third years may apply for supplemental funds to support academic enrichment activities, for example conference travel.

Fellowship stipends are taxable, but not subject to withholding, except for international students from a country without a tax treaty. Knight-Hennessy Scholars does not reimburse students for taxes.

Who qualifies for Knight-Hennessy Scholars?

There are two baseline eligibility requirements. First, you must apply to, be accepted by and enroll in a full-time Stanford graduate degree programme, including but not limited to DMA, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MPP, MS or PhD programmes.

Second, you must have earned a U.S. bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing in January of the qualifying year or later. The official page states the exact cut-off year for each round.

The four routes into the programme

You must also meet at least one of these four conditions:

• You apply separately but concurrently to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and a full-time Stanford graduate degree programme, so that you start both in the same year.
• You have already been offered and deferred admission to a full-time Stanford graduate degree programme, and you apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars so that you start both in the same year.
• You are a current Stanford graduate student applying to add a second full-time Stanford graduate degree programme, so that you start both Knight-Hennessy Scholars and the new programme in the same year.
• You are a current Stanford PhD student in your first year of enrollment, and you apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars so that you start the programme in your second year of PhD enrollment.

Who can apply? Nationality, age and field of study

Applicants from all countries can apply. There are no restrictions based on citizenship, age, field of study or career aspiration.

That makes the programme unusual among major graduate awards: a student in any discipline offered at Stanford, from any country, is eligible as long as the degree and degree-timing rules are met.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars deadline and timeline

The Knight-Hennessy application is due 6 October 2026 at 1:00 pm Pacific Time. The deadline for your Stanford graduate degree programme varies by programme, so check your desired programme's website to confirm it. It is usually earlier.

Because the two deadlines differ, work backwards from the earlier one. If your Stanford programme closes before the Knight-Hennessy date, that programme deadline is the one that governs your preparation.

How to apply for Knight-Hennessy Scholars, step by step

You must apply separately and concurrently to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars programme and to your Stanford graduate degree programme. Neither application replaces the other.

1. Read the official guidelines and the preparing your applications page on the official website before you start writing.
2. Confirm that your intended Stanford degree is not on the list of exceptions.
3. Check your chosen Stanford programme's deadline early, since it is usually earlier than the Knight-Hennessy deadline.
4. Prepare your documents in advance so both applications can be submitted on time.
5. Submit the Stanford graduate degree application by its own deadline.
6. Submit the Knight-Hennessy application by 6 October 2026, 1:00 pm Pacific Time.

Our scholarship tips section has general advice on preparing application materials, and the filtered list for this page shows current Stanford openings.

Which degree programmes are excluded?

Some Stanford programmes do not qualify for Knight-Hennessy Scholars. The following applicants are not eligible:

• Applicants to the Honors Cooperative Program
• Applicants to the Master of Liberal Arts
• Applicants to the Doctor of Science of Law (JSD)
• Current Stanford students applying for coterminal graduate study
• Current Stanford PhD students adding an MA or MS degree in their current discipline

Check this list before you invest time in either application. A degree that is excluded at Stanford will not become eligible through the fellowship route.

Documents and preparation

The official website sets out the documents and questions for each round, and the preparing your applications page explains how to approach them. The listing does not reproduce the full document list, so treat the official page as the current source.

What the listing does make clear is timing: your documents must be ready for two separate submissions, and the Stanford programme deadline usually comes first. Build a single document plan that covers both applications rather than treating them as one task.

Practical preparation points from the listing

• Read the official guidelines and the preparing your applications page before you start writing.
• Check your chosen Stanford programme's deadline early.
• Prepare documents in advance so both applications can be submitted on time.
• Confirm your degree programme is not on the list of exceptions.

How are Knight-Hennessy Scholars selected?

The programme is built around a multidisciplinary community drawn from all 7 schools at Stanford, and the King Global Leadership Program is part of the experience from the start. Selection therefore looks beyond a single department: the official site explains the criteria and process for each round.

The listing does not publish selection statistics, so ignore any figure you see elsewhere that is not on the official page. Focus on meeting the two baseline eligibility requirements and the degree-timing condition that applies to you.

Who it suits and who should look elsewhere

Knight-Hennessy Scholars suits students who are applying to a full-time Stanford graduate degree and who want funding for up to three years plus a leadership programme alongside their studies. It also suits current Stanford PhD students in their first year of enrollment who want to start the programme in their second year.

Look elsewhere if your intended programme is on the exceptions list, if you are a current Stanford student applying for coterminal graduate study, or if you are a current Stanford PhD student adding an MA or MS in your current discipline. Students who want funding outside the USA can browse Scholarships in United States for context, or compare other destinations such as Scholarships in United Kingdom, Scholarships in Canada and Scholarships in Australia.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying to only one side. You must apply separately and concurrently to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and to your Stanford graduate degree programme.
• Missing the earlier programme deadline. The Stanford programme deadline is usually earlier than 6 October 2026.
• Ignoring the exceptions list. The Honors Cooperative Program, the Master of Liberal Arts, the JSD, coterminal graduate study and current PhD students adding an MA or MS in their discipline are not eligible.
• Assuming the stipend is tax-free. Fellowship stipends are taxable, and the programme does not reimburse students for taxes.
• Starting documents late. Two submissions need one early document plan.

Alternatives and related funding routes

If Stanford is not the right fit, the scholarship finder and our guides cover other routes by country and by field. You can browse scholarships by country or start from a subject list.

• Social sciences: social sciences scholarships, economics and finance scholarships, political science scholarships
• Policy and law: law and public policy scholarships, peace scholarships
• Science and engineering: natural sciences scholarships, science and technology scholarships, engineering scholarships, IT scholarships
• Health and medicine: health scholarships, medicine scholarships
• Environment and development: environmental management scholarships, development studies scholarships, agriculture, forestry and fisheries scholarships
• Other fields: education scholarships, human development scholarships, MBA scholarships, journalism scholarships, humanities scholarships, any field of study scholarships

Other country routes include Scholarships in Germany, Scholarships in the Netherlands, Scholarships in Switzerland, Scholarships in Sweden, Scholarships in New Zealand, Scholarships in France, Scholarships in Japan, Scholarships in Belgium, Scholarships in Italy and Scholarships in Singapore.