Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Up to three years of funding: tuition and fees paid directly to Stanford, a living and academic stipend for housing, books, transit and personal costs, one economy return trip home per year, and a one-time relocation payment. Stanford does not publish a fixed dollar figure; check the current terms on knight-hennessy.stanford.edu.

Fields: Any field

Open to most nationalities

• Citizens and residents of any country, no nomination or institutional endorsement needed.
• First bachelor's degree (or equivalent) earned in January 2020 or later for the 2027 cohort; the window moves forward one year each cycle, and military applicants get a two-year extension.
• Final-year undergraduates can apply if they will finish their first degree before the programme starts.
• You must apply to, be admitted to, and enrol in a full-time Stanford graduate degree programme (applying to Knight-Hennessy alone is not enough).
• Some programmes are excluded, including the Honors Cooperative Program, Master of Liberal Arts, JSD and MLS.
• Holding a graduate degree already is fine, as long as the bachelor's timing rule is met.

The application for the 2027 cohort closed on 6 October 2026. The 2028 cohort application opens in summer 2027 and, going by recent cycles, closes in early October 2027. Your Stanford degree application is due by the earlier of your programme's deadline or 1 December. Confirm dates on the official page.

Deadlines move a little every year and some close early. Confirm the date on the official page before you plan around it.

• Knight-Hennessy online application with three short answers and one personal essay
• Resume
• Transcripts from every institution attended for one year or more (unofficial copies are accepted at application stage)
• Two recommendation letters in English (academic, community or professional; no family members)
• Test scores only if your Stanford degree programme requires them, including TOEFL or IELTS where required
• A separate application to your chosen Stanford graduate programme
• Video statement, by invitation only after first review

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the degree timing rule

   Confirm your first bachelor's degree falls inside the allowed window for your cohort and pick a full-time Stanford graduate programme that is not excluded.
2. 2

   Step 2: Submit the Knight-Hennessy application

   Complete the online application, short answers, essay, resume, transcripts and two recommendations before the October deadline.
3. 3

   Step 3: Apply to your Stanford programme

   Apply separately to your Stanford degree programme by its own deadline, no later than 1 December; the two applications are reviewed by different committees.
4. 4

   Step 4: Video statement if invited

   Shortlisted applicants are invited in January to record a short video statement.
5. 5

   Step 5: Finalist interview and Immersion Weekend

   Finalists have an online interview in February and attend Immersion Weekend in March before scholars are notified in mid-March.

• Funding only applies to the degree programme named in your Knight-Hennessy admission letter.
• Funding is capped at three years; longer programmes such as PhDs are funded from year four by the degree programme under its standard commitment.
• You must study full time and take part in the Knight-Hennessy leadership programme.
• Stipends are taxable and Knight-Hennessy does not reimburse taxes, so budget for them.

• Start your Stanford programme application early: many programmes have deadlines in early December and some ask for GRE, GMAT or TOEFL scores that take time to schedule from Nigeria and other African countries.
• The essay rewards honest self-reflection about who you are and what shaped you, not a list of achievements.
• Pick recommenders who know your work closely; a detailed letter from a supervisor beats a short one from a famous name.
• Unofficial transcripts are accepted at first, so do not let slow university registries stop you from applying on time.
• Selection is extremely competitive across all nationalities, so apply to other funded programmes in parallel.

Winning the award does not include the visa. Plan your application with our guide for the host country.

• United States student visa

Checked against these official pages on 16 Oct 2026.

• Knight-Hennessy Scholars: Eligibility (opens in a new tab)
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars: Funding (opens in a new tab)
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars: Application deadlines (opens in a new tab)
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars: Evaluation processes (opens in a new tab)