The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, named after its founders Philip H. Knight and John L. Hennessy, is a graduate-level scholarship established in 2016. It provides a Standford experience for 100 scholars all over the world yearly. It aims to develop a network of multicultural and multidisciplinary graduate students into exceptional leaders who can positively impact the world.
This scholarship looks for students with independent thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset. The funding is over 750 million US dollars, and 85% is intended for scholars. To date, this is the largest fully financed scholarship program in the world.
Related Scholarships
- United States of America (USA) Scholarships
- Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Programme
- US Fulbright Scholarships
Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program benefits
The scholarship grant covers three years of graduate studies. If your chosen program is more than three years, the scholarship may pay for the remaining years. The funding regulations differ by department, so it is important to reach out to the graduate program regarding this.
Tuition fees, living allowances, academic expenses, travel grants are covered. Academic expenses include books, academic supplies, room, local transportation, instructional materials, and valid personal expenditures. You may also request supplemental allowances for academic purposes such as conference travel.
Summer funding is provided to those involved in research projects during the summer. You may apply for an additional graduate program after enrolling at Standford, but approval is not guaranteed. If your application is successful, additional funding of up to three years is awarded.
Who are eligible for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program?
There are no limitations in applying for the scholarship. Applications are entertained regardless of country of origin, the field of study, college or university you graduated from, or career ambition. Recommendations from universities or any other institutions are not required.
There are only two baseline criteria that the scholarship requires. First, secure acceptance to a graduate program in Standford. The graduate programs include MD, MA, MPP, MS, MFA, MBA, DMA, JD, or Ph.D. programs. Those who will be studying in Standford for at least two years are given priority.
For students who took their undergraduate degrees outside the U.S., Standford will assess the foreign degree obtained by the applicant. The minimum study level for international graduates set by Standford can be found here.
The second criteria state that you must have earned your bachelor’s degree from January 2015 onwards. U.S. military applicants may still apply if they earned their undergraduate degrees in January of 2013 or later.
Applicants for the Master of Liberal Arts, Doctor of Science of Law, Honors Cooperative program are not eligible for the scholarship. Coterminal graduate study applicants who are presently enrolled at Standford, as well as on-going Standford Ph.D. students who would like to add MS or MA to their current program, are disqualified.
Apart from the eligibility, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program seeks three criteria in an applicant. Independent thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset must be demonstrated in your application. If you pass as a finalist, you will be invited to an immersion weekend to show more of these.
Application procedure for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
You must apply separately to the Knight-Hennessy scholarship and Standford. Get admitted as a full-time graduate student at Standford to be qualified for Knight-Hennessy Schoalrship. Start your application by logging in to this site and preparing the requirements. Next, submit it before the deadline but make sure not to commit errors because you cannot edit it out after submission. Lastly, update your test scores on your application status page once available.
The online application is divided into sections. For the background information, provide your personal and academic data. Interests, activities, and experiences should also be provided. It is not advisable to answer the sections in a simplified manner because the purpose of this section is to get to know you.
The transcript of your academic records should be scanned and uploaded. An unofficial transcript may be submitted. If applicable, the transcript must contain the degree and the date of graduation. There is no minimum GPA to be eligible for application for the scholarship. If the records are not in English, an official English translation must accompany the document.
The standardized test scores may be required by the Knight-Hennessy scholarship if your chosen degree program requires it. This test is to evaluate your level of preparation for the Standford study. Tips and a sample recommendation letter are provided to guide you in choosing the most suitable recommenders to back up your application.
A single-page resume highlighting your experiences, academic activities, and interests is to be submitted along with two recommendation letters from two advocates.
Another section is the short answer responses and an essay section. A word limit is set per question. This section is personal and a self-reflection on your journey.
A video statement and an immersion weekend are by invitation only.
If an English proficiency test result is required by the program you are applying to, you must submit one. It can be a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE result. The departments prefer results that are taken within the last 18 to 24 months.
All required documents must be submitted to the online application site of the program. Applications sent via postal mail or email will not be entertained.
Deadline of application for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
Opening of applications starts in August and closes by the first week of October. Specific dates and times of deadline are posted here. Note that application dates and deadlines may differ by program. In January of the following year, finalists are notified. The finalists are then asked to attend the immersion weekend by the end of February. The list of selected scholars is released any time in April. The start of the enrollment process is in September.
