Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University

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Announcing the 2025 cohort

Inspiring Leaders

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a fully-endowed, multidisciplinary leadership development program for graduate students at Stanford University. Scholars, who come from around the globe, receive up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at any of Stanford’s seven schools while engaging in experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders capable of taking on the world’s most difficult challenges.

Discover the Knight-Hennessy scholar journey

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. 

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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. 

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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?

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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

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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

Learn about the Knight-Hennessy scholar experience