Deadline: October 12, 2022.

Knight-Hennessy scholars develop deep domain expertise in their Stanford graduate program, and build on this domain expertise through exposure to a wide range of disciplines and cultures within the Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) community. Scholars participate in the King Global Leadership Program (KGLP), which includes workshops, lectures, projects, and experiences that strengthen transformational leadership capabilities. Through KGLP, scholars collaborate and prepare to address important challenges and opportunities facing the world, such as climate change, healthcare, government and policy, and education.

ELIGIBILITY

Knight-Hennessy Scholars has no restrictions based on age, college or university, field of study, or career aspiration. They encourage citizens and residents of all countries to apply.  They do not require applicants to seek endorsements from colleges, universities, or other institutions. 

There are two baseline eligibility requirements.

Requirement 1: Admission to Stanford

First, in addition to applying to Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS), you must apply to, be accepted by, and enroll in a full-time Stanford graduate degree program including, but not limited to, DMA, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MPP, MS, or PhD programs.  You must meet at least one of the following four conditions:

1. You are applying separately but concurrently to KHS and a full-time Stanford graduate degree program such that you will start both in the same year.
2. You have already been offered and deferred admission to a full-time Stanford graduate degree program, and will apply to KHS such that you will start both in the same year.
3. You are a current Stanford graduate student who will apply to add a second full-time Stanford graduate degree program, such that you will start both KHS and the new program in the same year.
4. You are a current Stanford PhD student in your first year of enrollment, and will apply to KHS such that you will start KHS in your second year of PhD enrollment.  

Second, you must have earned, in January 2016 or later, a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing

CRITERIA

Independence of Thought: They seek 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.

• Demonstrates intellectual ability and clear thinking
• Communicates clearly based on reflection and introspection
• Seeks out new knowledge, perspectives, and experiences
• Makes sense of ambiguous circumstances
• Generates ideas to solve problems

Purposeful Leadership: They seek courageous leaders who are ethical, decisive, resilient, driven to achieve meaningful results, and motivated to inspire others to effect positive change at scale.

• Achieves impactful results
• Confronts challenges with courage, persistence, and resilience
• Seeks to improve self and others
• Includes and inspires others to effect change
• Makes decisions in accordance with values

Civic Mindset: They seek collaborative community members who are humble, empathetic, trustworthy, oriented to act in service of others, and deeply passionate about contributing to the greater good.

• Demonstrates humility, kindness, integrity, and accountability
• Makes a habit of serving and helping others
• Thoughtful and considerate of others’ perspectives
• Embraces difference and celebrates diverse opinions and experiences
• Strives to make our world a better place

BENEFITS

Knight-Hennessy scholars receive funding for up to three years for any graduate degree(s) at Stanford. This funding applies to the degree(s) to which scholars are preparing to enroll at the time of scholar selection.

During each of the first three years of graduate study, Knight-Hennessy scholars receive several types of funding:

• A fellowship applied directly to cover tuition and associated fees
• A stipend for living and academic expenses (such as room and board, books, academic supplies, instructional materials, local transportation, and reasonable personal expenses)
• A travel stipend intended to cover an economy-class ticket for one annual trip to and from Stanford

Additional funding specific to certain years:

• Newly enrolling scholars receive a one-time relocation stipend intended to offset some of the costs associated with relocation to the area and/or technology purchases.
• Scholars in their second and third years may apply for supplemental funds to support academic enrichment activities  (e.g., conference travel).​

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