What Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program at Stanford University actually covers.
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is one of the most generous graduate fellowships in the world, and it welcomes African students on exactly the same footing as everyone else: there are no citizenship, age or field restrictions of any kind. Scholars pursue a full-time Masters or PhD at Stanford University in the United States while joining a tightly connected, multidisciplinary community drawn from across the globe. The award funds up to three years of study and is designed to remove financial barriers entirely. It applies a fellowship directly toward tuition and associated fees, provides a stipend for living and academic costs such as accommodation, books, supplies and reasonable personal expenses, and adds a travel stipend covering one annual economy-class round trip to and from Stanford. Newly enrolling scholars also receive a one-time relocation grant, and supplemental funds are available in the second and third years for academic enrichment. Beyond the money, scholars take part in a dedicated leadership development experience that runs in parallel with their degree, connecting them to peers, mentors and speakers who shape the program's mission of preparing leaders to tackle complex global challenges. For talented graduates across Africa, this represents a rare chance to study at a leading research university with complete funding and a purpose-built leadership network. The 2026 cycle closes on 6 October 2026 at 1:00 pm Pacific Time, and applicants should note that admission to a Stanford graduate program is a prerequisite, so both applications need to be planned together well ahead of the deadline.
Who can apply.
Open to masters, phd applicants seeking to study in United States.
Open to applicants from across the African continent. Confirm specific nationality eligibility on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
From here to submitted.
Scholar Africa helps you discover, shortlist, and track. The application itself is submitted on the provider's site.
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Save itAdd this to your shortlist so we can recommend similar scholarships and remind you of the deadline.
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Prepare your documentsMost providers ask for the same set — transcripts, references, a personal statement, ID. Use the checklist below to track progress across all your applications.
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Apply on the provider's siteSubmit on the provider's site before October 6, 2026 · 82 days left.
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Track the outcomeAdd to your tracker so you can update the status as the provider responds (shortlisted, interview, decision).
Document checklist
Checks are local to this device — they're not stored. Always confirm exact requirements on the provider's official application page.
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live and an admin manually reviews every scholarship submitted by providers. Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program at Stanford University has been reviewed and verified by our team. Five deeper checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, formal audit) are on the roadmap.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.