Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program

Provides funding for graduate education at Stanford

You are encouraged to visit the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program website and view the video detailing the mission of the program before making application. This is not simply funding for your chosen graduate program at Stanford. It is a highly selective scholars program with a distinct mission statement. Your application should respond to that mission -- not replicate your graduate (or MD, JD, MBA) application to Stanford. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is looking for candidates who can prove that they "out think, out work, and out care" in their ambitions and efforts. The complete Knight-Hennessy mission statement is available here: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/about

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Each year the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program will identify a group of 100 high-achieving students from around the world with demonstrated leadership and civic commitment to receive full funding to pursue a wide-ranging graduate education at Stanford, with the goal of developing a new generation of global leaders. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed scholars program in the world. In addition to the opportunities that students will pursue through the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, they will find ample opportunity to build leadership skills specific to their discipline.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program funds up to three years of your graduate education. If your degree program exceeds three years, such as an MD or PhD program, then your home department will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program.

As a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, you receive:

  • a fellowship applied directly to cover your tuition and associated fees, and
  • a generous stipend comprising your on-campus room and board, books and supplies, health insurance and associated fees, travel to and from Stanford, and reasonable personal expenses.

Deadline Information

Eligibility Requirements

  • The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is open to citizens of all countries.
  • While there is no minimum GPA for the Knight-Hennessy, you must meet the minimum GPA expectations of your degree program for Stanford admissions. 
  • You are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program if you are applying to enroll in a full-time graduate degree program at Stanford (e.g., JD, MA, MBA, MD, MS, or PhD) or plan on pursuing one of Stanford’s many joint- and dual- graduate degree options (e.g., MD+PhD, JD+MA, MBA+MS). 
  • The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program funds up to three years of your graduate education. If your degree program exceeds three years, such as an MD or PhD program, then your home department will fund the remainder of your education (to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program). One year programs are ineligible.
  • Beyond the eligibility requirements listed above, you are eligible for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program as long as you meet the requirements of the Stanford graduate program that you wish to pursue. You must complete the entire application process for your department - including any standardized test that your discipline requires (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.) and, if needed, an English proficiency test.

Application Process

To be considered for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, you must first gain admission to your selected graduate program at Stanford. Therefore, you are advised to ensure that you are putting together the most competitive graduate admission application possible. The CCRF does not advise on graduate school admission processes; you are advised to work closely with your faculty and research mentors, and ensure that you meet Stanford's admission criteria. 

For details about applying to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, please visit their website: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/admission

There is no University of Chicago campus application or endorsement process for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program.