Northwestern University is ending its Posse Scholars program, a long-running full-tuition scholarship partnership with the Posse Foundation that selected cohorts from major cities. Northwestern said the change will shift funding to expand access, opportunity, and belonging “regardless of students’ hometown or financial means.” The announcement lands as federal policy pressure on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives continues. Last year, the Trump administration froze $790 million in federal funding for Northwestern, and the university later reached an agreement to pay $75 million and refrain from certain decisions based on race, color, or national origin. More broadly, faculty and administrators are reworking scholarship models, partnership agreements, and selection criteria to reduce compliance exposure. For student recruiting, the change may affect how the university identifies and supports high-potential students from targeted geographies and mentoring structures. Institutional leaders will now need to manage both the operational transition for current scholars and the messaging around replacement pathways for incoming students whose recruitment depends on the Posse model.