Erika Dunlap walked away with the Miss America crown in 2004 and $55,000 in scholarship money that comes with the title.
She spoke to the Press Club about increasing awareness -- and encouraging increased private-sector funding -- of scholarships for students. "Access to higher education is essential to our collective future yet it is increasingly beyond the financial grasp of many students," Dunlap said in her speech.
"Last year the Miss America Organization made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance, making it the largest provider of scholarships to women in the world."
--provided by NPR.com
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