Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program at Stanford University

The program brings together individuals from diverse academic backgrounds, nationalities, perspectives, and lived experiences. Scholars learn together and collaborate on impactful projects within a multicultural community. Candidates have no restrictions based on age, college or university, field of study, or career aspiration, and the program maintains no quotas by discipline, program, or world region.

Financial support covers up to three years of graduate study for the degree program listed in the initial admission letter. The funding package includes a fellowship applied directly to tuition and associated fees, a living and academic expense stipend, and a travel stipend for one annual trip to and from Stanford. Newly enrolling scholars also receive a one-time relocation stipend, while second and third-year scholars can apply for supplemental funds for academic enrichment activities like conference travel.

Applicants must meet two baseline eligibility requirements. First, applicants must apply to, be accepted by, and enroll in a full-time Stanford graduate degree program, such as an MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MPP, MS, PhD, or JD, through concurrent applications or pre-existing enrollment pathways. Second, applicants must have earned a United States bachelor's degree or its equivalent in January 2020 or later, with a two-year extension granted to military service members who earned their degree in January 2018 or later.

The selection criteria focus on three core pillars: independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset. The admissions process evaluates candidates across these pillars through the online application, short answers, essays, transcripts, recommendations, a video statement, and the finalist experience.