Donor to Move Scholarship From UNC Wilmington Due to DEI Policy

July 09, 2026

UNCW’s general counsel determined 18 active scholarships did not comply with the system’s DEI policies.

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The Upperman family, which established what is now a $1 million endowed scholarship fund at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, will not change the terms of the scholarship to comply with the UNC system’s anti–diversity, equity and inclusion rules, WHQR, an NPR affiliate in southeastern North Carolina, reported. Instead, they plan to move the scholarship to a more DEI-friendly institution.

University leaders asked Linda Upperman Smith to remove a line from the language of the scholarship that reads, “Special consideration will also be given to students who have demonstrated experience in or commitment to working with the African American community.” The scholarship is one of 18 that the institution’s Office of General Counsel determined were out of compliance with the system’s DEI policy.