KN

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Global

by Stanford University

The world's largest fully endowed graduate scholarship program, funding students from any country to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford — from the MBA to a PhD in physics to a JD or MD.

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Funding

Full funding for up to 3 years at Stanford

Duration

Up to 3 years

Geography

Global

Eligibility

Open to citizens of any country who are applying to any full-time graduate program at Stanford. Applicants must have earned their first bachelor's degree no more than 7 years prior to the start of the program, or be current undergraduates.

Application

Annual

Deadline

October

LeadershipAny FieldEntrepreneurshipScience & ResearchGlobal Affairs

About This Fellowship

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed graduate scholarship in the world, created in 2016 with a $750 million gift from Phil Knight (co-founder of Nike) and named in honor of former Stanford president John Hennessy. The program funds up to 100 scholars each year to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford University — including the MBA, JD, MD, MA, MS, or PhD — for up to three years.

What makes Knight-Hennessy unique among graduate scholarships is its deliberate interdisciplinarity. Scholars come from every field and every country, and the program is designed to break down the silos that typically separate students in different professional and academic programs. Through a shared cohort experience, leadership programming, and collaborative projects, the program aims to develop leaders who can work across boundaries to address complex global challenges.

The scholarship covers tuition, stipend, and travel, removing all financial barriers to a Stanford graduate education. But the program's real value lies in the community: Knight-Hennessy Scholars join a cohort of peers from wildly different backgrounds — a biomedical engineer from Nigeria, a human rights lawyer from Colombia, a computer scientist from Japan — united by a shared commitment to leadership and impact.

What You Get

Knight-Hennessy provides comprehensive funding alongside a rich leadership development experience.

  • Full tuition funding for your Stanford graduate program (up to 3 years)
  • An annual stipend to cover living expenses, books, and supplies
  • A travel allowance for annual return trips and conference attendance
  • A dedicated King Global Leadership Program with workshops, mentoring, and experiential learning
  • Access to Stanford's full resources, including research labs, startup incubators, and career services
  • A lifelong community of Knight-Hennessy Scholars from over 50 countries and every Stanford school
  • Graduate housing priority and dedicated scholar community spaces

Selection Process

The Knight-Hennessy selection process evaluates leadership, academic excellence, and civic commitment through a multi-stage review.

  • Applicants must apply separately to both Knight-Hennessy and their chosen Stanford graduate program
  • The Knight-Hennessy application includes essays on leadership and impact
  • Two short video submissions (about 2 minutes each) are required as part of the application
  • Semifinalists are invited to Stanford for an immersive weekend of interviews and group activities
  • Selection criteria: independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset
  • Approximately 75–100 scholars are selected each year from over 5,000 applicants
  • Applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last 7 years (or be current seniors)

How to Apply

The application process runs in parallel with Stanford graduate admissions. You must be admitted to a Stanford graduate program to receive the scholarship.

  • Visit knight-hennessy.stanford.edu to review eligibility and timeline
  • Submit the Knight-Hennessy application (essays and videos) by the October deadline
  • Separately apply to your chosen Stanford graduate program by its own deadline
  • Prepare two short videos that showcase your personality, values, and vision
  • Secure strong letters of recommendation that speak to your leadership and character
  • If selected as a semifinalist, attend the immersive weekend at Stanford (travel covered)
  • Admission to a Stanford graduate program is a prerequisite — both applications must succeed

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