Northwestern University will end its Posse Scholars program, a long-running, merit-based full-tuition scholarship partnership with the Posse Foundation. The university is phasing out the program starting this fall, with current Posse scholars remaining enrolled and Northwestern recruiting a final cohort for the upcoming academic year. The move comes amid wider federal scrutiny of DEI-related initiatives. Northwestern previously saw federal action impacting funding after agreements tied to refraining from admissions and scholarship decisions based on race, color, or national origin. Northwestern’s spokesperson said the institution will reallocate the funds to support access, opportunity, and belonging regardless of hometown or financial means. Posse Foundation figures cited in reporting indicate the scholars program has served many first-generation students and a large share of alumni identify as Black or Hispanic. For admissions and scholarship leaders, the policy signal is clear: donor- and partner-based pipelines that rely on demographic-profiling or “select diverse leaders” narratives may face increasing scrutiny, even when not explicitly race-based.