Knight-Hennessy Scholars

• Knight-Hennessy Scholars supports graduate study at Stanford. The eligibility requirements apply specifically to the 2027 cohort.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Citizens and residents of all countries may apply. There are no restrictions based on age, institution, field of study or career aspiration, no institutional endorsement requirement, and no quotas by discipline, program or world region.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• DACA recipients, applicants without formal citizenship and otherwise undocumented applicants may apply and matriculate.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• For 2027, the first bachelor's degree must ordinarily have been earned in January 2020 or later; military service extends the window to January 2018 or later. Current students must earn their first degree by September 2027. A later additional degree does not reset the first-degree window.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Excluded programs are the Honors Cooperative Program, Master of Liberal Arts, JSD, MLS, and an MA/MS added by a current Stanford PhD student in their PhD discipline. Coterminal degrees are excluded, but current coterminal students may qualify through an external application to a new full-time degree starting in the same year as KHS.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Funding lasts up to three years and covers tuition and associated fees, a living/academic-expense stipend, and an economy-class annual round-trip travel stipend. Funding applies to degrees being prepared for at scholar selection.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• New scholars receive a one-time stipend offsetting some relocation and/or technology costs. Second- and third-year scholars may apply for academic-enrichment funds.

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• The initial admission letter identifies the funded program. Funding for an additional graduate program requires an application, is not guaranteed, and remains subject to the three-year maximum.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• The funding table specifies: listed master's/legal master's programs up to six academic quarters over years 1–2; JD nine academic quarters over years 1–3; MD up to 11 quarters excluding first-year summer, with medical-school funding in years 4–5; PhD/DMA and MSTP up to 12 quarters including three summers, with degree-program funding from year 4; JD/MBA nine academic quarters, with later need-based aid requiring a graduate-school financial-aid application. MLS appears here despite being excluded on the eligibility page.

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• Stipends are taxable and KHS does not reimburse taxes. Withholding generally does not apply, except for international students from countries without a tax treaty.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• KHS admission depends separately on applying to, being accepted by and enrolling in an eligible full-time Stanford graduate degree program. International qualifications must satisfy the graduate program's requirements and Stanford's bachelor's-equivalency policies.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• KHS offers cannot be deferred. A selected applicant unable to enroll must reapply for the intended enrollment year; graduate-program deferral is separately controlled by the department.

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• Upload a legible one-page US Letter résumé in reverse chronological order, covering education, experiences and interests. Do not include photos or hyperlinks.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Upload undergraduate and, where applicable, graduate transcripts for institutions attended for at least one academic year. Unofficial records are accepted; a self-reported form is available if needed. Include degree and conferral date or a separate diploma when available. Non-English records require official English translations.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Tests follow the graduate programme’s requirements, including English tests where required. Submit scores by the later of the KHS deadline or graduate-programme deadline. No separate study-abroad transcript is needed if credits appear on another transcript.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Register two recommenders early; they receive individual online submission links. Letters should evidence KHS criteria and are due by the deadline. Submit your own application on time even if letters remain outstanding. Graduate admission letters may need different content.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

• Submission sequence for applicants needing graduate admission: submit a separate KHS application by its deadline; submit the separate Stanford graduate application by the earlier of the program's KHS-applicant deadline or December 1, 2026; confirm the program-specific deadline directly with the department. MBA applicants must use Round 1.

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• Applicants with admission already deferred to 2027, and Stanford PhD students starting in 2026 and entering their second year in 2027, submit only the KHS application; they need not submit another graduate-program application.

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• Complete the online personal, academic, employment, activity and award sections. KHS charges no application fee; graduate-programme application fees and waivers are separate.

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• Prepare three short answers: academic/professional intentions (250 words), experiences with differing perspectives, courage and falling short (250 combined), and eight unexpected personal facts (150 combined). The personal-influences essay has a 550-word limit.

  Official source · 2026-10-11 ↗

These details help you explore your options. Read the full eligibility requirements above, including any exceptions.

• Study level

  Listed: Masters, Doctoral, Other

  Official requirements ↗

• Separate Stanford graduate admission and full-time enrollment are required; KHS eligibility does not guarantee either admission.

  For the 2027 cohort, will you apply to, be accepted by and enroll in an eligible full-time Stanford graduate degree program?

  Check your eligibility
  Official requirement ↗

• At least one of the four entry pathways must apply. Existing graduate enrollment alone does not qualify.

  For 2027, are you either applying concurrently to KHS and a new full-time Stanford graduate degree starting in 2027; already admitted with enrollment deferred to 2027; a current Stanford graduate student applying to a new full-time degree starting with KHS in 2027; or a Stanford PhD student starting in 2026 and joining KHS in your second PhD year in 2027?

  Check your eligibility
  Official requirement ↗

• The first-degree window applies even if a later additional degree was earned. Military service provides a two-year extension.

  For 2027 entry, was your first bachelor's degree (or U.S. equivalent from a recognized institution) earned in January 2020 or later, or January 2018 or later if you served in the military; or, if you are a current college student, will you earn that first degree by September 2027?

  Check your eligibility
  Official requirement ↗

• These programs/pathways are excluded. A current coterminal student may instead apply externally to a new eligible full-time degree aligned with KHS entry.

  Is your proposed KHS-funded study for 2027 the Honors Cooperative Program, Master of Liberal Arts, JSD, MLS, an MA/MS in your current Stanford PhD discipline, or a coterminal degree rather than a new full-time degree entered through the external application process starting with KHS in 2027?

  Check your eligibility
  Official requirement ↗

• These awards cannot be combined with KHS or discontinued to apply. The listed ARCS, Dissertation Completion, Gerald J. Lieberman, RAISE, SGF and SIGF awards are permitted.

  As a first-year Stanford PhD applicant to the 2027 KHS cohort, have you received a CCSRE Graduate Fellowship or Shoucheng Zhang Graduate Fellowship, including an award you would discontinue to apply to KHS?

  Check your eligibility
  Official requirement ↗

• The KHS deadline is the same for all applicants; the 2027 application is now closed.

  Did you submit your 2027-cohort KHS application by October 6, 2026, 1:00pm Pacific Time?

  Before you submit
  Official requirement ↗

• Graduate applications have a separate deadline. Deferred admits and qualifying second-year PhD entrants need no new graduate application; MBA applicants must apply in Round 1.

  For 2027 KHS entry, have you already deferred Stanford graduate admission to 2027 or started your Stanford PhD in 2026; otherwise, will you submit each required separate graduate application by the earlier of its KHS-applicant deadline or December 1, 2026, using Round 1 for an MBA application?

  Before you submit
  Official requirement ↗

Check the dates for your intended intake. Previous-cycle dates are included for planning and do not confirm that applications are open.

Check the provider’s full terms for your citizenship, residence, course and intake. This overview is not a personal eligibility assessment.

Not yet confirmed in this guide: keeping your funding.