National and International Scholarships Office John Martinson Honors College

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Information Session: March 2026 TBD

Campus Deadline: TBD

Fields of Study: Open

Funding for: 1-3 years of  graduate studies at Stanford University

Begin Application: Junior or senior year, recent grad or graduate student

Website: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/  

Description

Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) is a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate scholarship program. KHS develops emerging leaders who have a strong multidisciplinary and multicultural perspective, a commitment to the greater good, and the tools needed to drive meaningful change. The KHS team designs programs, retreats and project support to encourage connection amongst current scholars. The scholar community offers support and encouragement to one another along the way. KHS brings scholars together to learn and build deep relationships that foster meaningful connections and lifelong friendships. Community is a core part of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) experience. Students come from all over the world and represent a vast array of cultures and perspectives.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Citizen of any country
  • Apply to, be accepted by, and enroll in a full-time Stanford graduate degree program.
  • Must have received a U.S. bachelor’s degree no more than seven years prior to the start of your graduate program at Stanford (two-year extension for those who served in the military)
  • Demonstrated leadership
  • Commitment to contributing to the greater good now and I the future

Candidate Profile

  • Independence of Thought: Visionary thinkers who are curious, open-minded, analytical, eager for cross-cultural perspective, and genuinely excited to boldly and creatively address  our world’s important challenges.
  • Purposeful Leadership: courageous leaders who are ethical, decisive, resilient, driven to achieve meaningful results, and motivated to inspire others to effect positive change at scale.
  • Civic Mindset: collaborative community members who are humble, empathetic, trustworthy, oriented to act in service of others, and deeply passionate about contributing to the greater good.

Application Components

  • Two letters of recommendation from individuals who know you well and can confirm your qualifications, your potential, and your demonstration of the three criteria above.
  • Online Application with short answer Qs, essays, resume, transcript, and standardized test scores (commensurate with the graduate program requirements)
  • Completion/submission of the Stanford graduate school application for your intended graduate program

Application Procedure

While one can apply directly to Knight-Hennessy Scholars, it is in the best interest of applicants to work through Purdue's review process. This involves support throughout preparation of the application materials and a final review by a faculty committee who will provide additional support and feedback to help the student craft the strongest application possible.

Detailed campus application information is provided directly to applicants once they declare their intention to apply.