Knight-Hennessy Scholars
Knight-Hennessy Scholars is Stanford's flagship graduate fellowship — one of the largest fully-funded scholarships in the world. It funds up to three years of any Stanford graduate degree (MA, MS, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, etc.) plus a leadership-development programme called the King Global Leadership Program. Open to applicants from any country, with no specific country quota; Sri Lankan applicants compete in the global pool.
Stanford University
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
Full Tuition + Stipend (3 yrs)
Duration
Up to 3 Years Any Stanford Grad Degree
Extras
Annual Travel + Relocation Stipend
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Recent Bachelor's Degree
Must have earned your first/undergraduate degree in 2018 or later (rolling 7-year window) to apply for the 2027 cohort. Military service, parental leave, or full-time research can extend this window.
Concurrent Stanford Application
You must apply separately and concurrently to (a) the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program AND (b) your chosen Stanford graduate degree programme. Both applications run on their own deadlines and reviewers.
English Proficiency
Strong written and spoken English. TOEFL or IELTS scores are dictated by the individual Stanford graduate programme — Knight-Hennessy itself does not set a separate threshold.
All Nationalities Welcome
Open to applicants from any country, including Sri Lanka. There is no country quota — admissions are entirely merit-based across the global pool.
account_tree Application Process
Application Opens 1 June 2026
The Knight-Hennessy 2027 application opens via knight-hennessy.stanford.edu. Submit two short essays, a CV, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and two short videos.
Submit by Early October 2026
KHS deadline is early October — well before most Stanford department deadlines. Submit the KHS form first, then your separate Stanford grad programme application by its own deadline.
Finalist Interview (Virtual)
Finalists are invited to a half-day virtual interview event called Immersion Weekend, typically in January or February.
Award Notification
Successful Knight-Hennessy scholars are notified in March-April. You must be separately admitted to a Stanford graduate programme to take up the award.
Why Knight-Hennessy at Stanford?
One of the world's most generous graduate fellowships, hosted by a Top 5 global university. Scholars choose from over 100 Stanford graduate programmes and join a cohort of 100 fellows per year.
~100
Scholars / Year
#6
QS World Ranking 2026
USD 180k+
Avg. Total Award
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Harvard Financial Aid for International Students
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