Front of Denning House with lit walkway

Inspiring Leaders

Knight-Hennessy Scholars cultivates and supports a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare graduates to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world.

Discover the Knight-Hennessy Scholar experience

Stanford University 

All scholars are Stanford University graduate students, who join Knight-Hennessy Scholars in addition to enrolling in a graduate degree program at any of Stanford's seven schools. 

Four scholars smiling at camera
John talking with scholars at the social hackathon

Leadership Development

Scholars participate in up to three years of programming that complements their graduate studies and prepares them to take on leadership roles in academia, industry, government, nonprofits, and the community at large.

Knight-Hennessy Community

A new cohort of scholars joins each year, adding to a diverse community of scholars from across disciplines, nationalities, perspectives, and backgrounds. Scholars learn together, collaborate on impactful projects, and develop lifelong friendships. 

Scholars together as group
Scholoars looking at a board with white notecards on it.

Knight-Hennessy Funding

Scholars receive a fellowship for up to three years of tuition, depending upon their degree length. In addition, scholars receive a stipend for living and academic expenses, and a travel stipend for one annual trip to and from Stanford. 

What characterizes a Knight-Hennessy scholar?

Scholars talking

Independence of Thought

Knight-Hennessy scholars are 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

See eligibility

Purposeful Leadership

Knight-Hennessy scholars are courageous leaders who are ethical, decisive, resilient, driven to achieve meaningful results, and motivated to inspire others to effect positive change at scale.

See criteria

Scholars talking with Erin Gruwell
Scholars talking at a table

Civic Mindset

Knight-Hennessy scholars are collaborative community members who are humble, empathetic, trustworthy, oriented to act in service of others, and deeply passionate about contributing to the greater good.

See admission

Front cover of 2022 KHS annual report

See the 2022-2023 Annual Report (pdf)