John Oliver has done it again. The Last Week Tonight host summed up everything that is wrong with the annual Miss America Pageant Sunday night—from the butt glue to the 20 second responses to the question of how the U.S. should deal with ISIS.
But Oliver’s team also dug into the Miss America Pageant’s assertion that they provide $45 million in scholarship funds every year. They found that the pageant winners doesn’t come even close to actually receiving that amount for complicated reasons that Oliver explains in his piece. And yet the claim that they are still the world’s largest provider of scholarships for women in the world is, sadly, true, even though women who compete for said scholarship must certify that they have never before been married or pregnant.
On Monday afternoon, the Miss America Organization defended its program in a statement, saying it was common practice to advertise the total figure offered in scholarships rather than what ended up being spent. “We highlight the impressive, generous $45 million in scholarships made available in an effort to honor every one of our academic partners nationwide who make available cash and in-kind financial opportunities to the [Miss America Organization] and young women who participate in the program,” a spokesperson for the organization said. “Each year, more than 8,000 young women compete for scholarships…As with any scholarship, the full amount awarded may not always be used as recipients’ plans change or evolve.”
See Photos of Every Miss America Since 1921
1921: Margaret Gorman from WashingtonAP1922: Mary Katherine Campbell from Columbus, OhioAP1923: Mary Katherine Campbell from Columbus, OhioNew York Daily News Archive/Getty Images1924: Ruth Malcomson from PhiladelphiaBettmann/Corbis1925: Fay Lanphier from Oakland, Calif.New York Daily News Archive—NY Daily News via Getty Images1926: Norma D. Smallwood from Tulsa, Okla.New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images1927: Lois Delander from Joliet, Ill.Hulton Archive—Getty Images1933: Marian Bergeron from West Haven, Conn.Miss America1935: Henrietta Leaver from PittsburghImagno—Getty Images1936: Rose Veronica Coyle from PhiladelphiaAP1937: Bette Cooper from Bertrand Island, N.J.AP1938: Marilyn Meseke from Marion, OhioHulton Archive/Getty Images1939: Patricia Donnelly from DetroitHulton Archive/Getty Images1940: Frances Burke from PhiladelphiaAP1941: Rosemary LaPlanche from Los AngelesGeorge Enell—Getty Images1942: Jo-Carroll Dennison from Tyler, TexasPlanet News Archive/SSPL/Getty Images1943: Jean Bartel from Los AngelesAP1944: Venus Ramey from WashingtonPeter Stackpole—The LIFE Picture Collection/Gett1945: Bess Myerson from New YorkAlfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images1946: Marilyn Buferd from Los AngelesHulton Archive/Getty Images1947: Barbara Walker from Memphis, Tenn.Maurice Johnson— Bettmann/CORBIS1948: Beatrice Shopp from Hopkins, Minn.Bettmann/Corbis1949: Jacque Mercer from Litchfield, Ariz.Bettmann/Corbis1951: Yolande Betbeze from Mobile, Ala.Bettmann/Corbis1952: Colleen Kay Hutchins from Salt Lake CityAP1953: Neva Langley from Macon, Ga.Miss America1954: Evelyn Ay from Ephrate, Pa.Bettmann/Corbis1955: Lee Meriwether from San FranciscoBettmann/Corbis1956: Sharon Kay Ritchie from DenverBettmann/Corbis1957: Marian Ann McKnight from Manning, S.C.Bettmann/Corbis1958: Marilyn Van Derbur from DenverBob Beegle—Denver Post/Getty Images1959: Mary Ann Mobley from Brandon, Miss.Bettmann/Corbis1960: Lynda Mead from Natchez, Miss.Bettmann/Corbis1961: Nancy Fleming from Montague, Mich.Bettmann/Corbis1962: Maria Fletcher from Asheville, N.C.Hulton Archive/Getty Images1963: Jacquelyn Mayer from Sandusky, OhioHulton Archive/Getty Images1964: Donna Axum from El Dorado, Ark.Bettmann/Corbis1965: Vonda Van Dyke from PhoenixBettmann/Corbis1966: Deborah Bryant from Overland Park, Kan.George Crouter—Denver Post via Getty Images1967: Jayne Anne Jayroe from Laverne, Okla.Bill Eppridge—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images1968: Debra Barnes from Pittsburg, Kan.Bettmann/Corbis1969: Judi Ford from Belvidere, Ill.Miss America1970: Pamela Anne Eldred from West Bloomfield, Mich.Bill Achatz—AP1971: Phyllis George from Denton, TexasBettmann/Corbis1972: Laurel Lea Schaefer from Bexley, OhioBettmann/Corbis1973: Terry Anne Meeuwsen from De Pere, Wis.Bettmann/Corbis1974: Rebecca Ann King from DenverAP1975: Shirley Cothran from Denton, TexasMiss America1976: Tawny Godin from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.AP1977: Dorothy Benham from Edina, Minn.CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images1978: Susan Perkins from Columbus, OhioMiss America1979: Kylene Barker from Roanoke, Va.Miss America1980: Cheryl Prewitt from Ackerman, Miss.NBC/Getty Images1981: Susan Powell from Elk City, Okla.Birns—AP1982: Elizabeth Ward from Russellville, Ark.AP1983: Debra Sue Maffett from Anaheim, Calif.NBC/Getty Images1984: Vanessa Williams from Millwood, N.Y.Donna Connor—Bettmann/Corbis1984: Suzette Charles from Mays Kanding, N.J. Bettmann/Corbis1985: Sharlene Wells from Salt Lake CityBarry Thumma—AP1986: Susan Akin from Meridian, Miss.AP1987: Kellye Cash from Memphis, Tenn.Mark Humphrey—AP1988: Kaye Lani Rae Rafko from Monroe, Mich.Tom Hawley—The Monroe Evening News/AP1989: Gretchen Carlson from Anoka, Minn.Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic1990: Debbye Turner from Columbia, Mo.Tom Patrick—AP1991: Marjorie Vincent from Oak Park, Ill.Miss America1992: Carolyn Sapp from HonoluluTime and Life Pictures/Getty Images1993: Leanza Cornett from Jacksonville, Fla.Joseph Sohm—Visions of America/Corbis1994: Kimberly Aiken from Columbia, S.C.Charles Rex Arbogast—AP1995: Heather Whitestone from Birmingham, Ala.Donna Connor—Sygma/Corbis1996: Shawntel Smith from Muldrow, Okla.Tom Costello—AP1997: Tara Dawn Holland from Overland Park, Kan.Daniel Hulshizer—AP1998: Kate Shindle from Evanston, Ill.Daniel Hulshizer—AP1999: Nicole Johnson from Virginia Beach, Va.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty Images2000: Heather French from Maysville, Ky.Donna Connor—Sygma/Corbis2001: Angela Perez Baraquio from HonoluluTom Mihalek—AFP/Getty Images2002: Katie Harman from Gresham, Ore.Tom Mihalek—AFP/Getty Images2003: Erika Harold from Urbana, Ill.Brian Branch—AP2004: Ericka Dunlap from Orlando, Fla.William Thomas Cain—Getty Images2005: Deidre Downs from Birmingham, Ala.Brian Branch Price—AP2006: Jennifer Berry from Tulsa, Okla.Susan L. Gregg—Reuters/Corbis2007: Lauren Nelson from Lawton, Okla.Ethan Miller—Getty Images2008: Kirsten Haglund from Farmington Hills, Mich.Jae C. Hong—AP2009: Katie Stam from Seymour, Ind.Isaac Brekken—AP2010: Caressa Cameron from Fredericksburg, Va.Ethan Miller—Getty Images2011: Teresa Scanlan from Gering, Neb.Steve Marcus—Reuters/Corbis2012: Laura Kaeppeler from Kenosha, Wis.Steve Marcus—Reuters/Corbis2013: Mallory Hytes Hagan from Brooklyn, N.Y.Steve Marcus—Reuters/Corbis2014: Nina Davuluri from Syracuse, N.Y.Aristide Economopoulos—Star Ledger/Corbis2015: Kira Kazantsev from ManhattanMJT/AdMedia/CorbisMiss Arkansa, Savvy Shields, waves to crowd after being named new the Miss America 2017 in Atlantic City, N.J., Sept. 11, 2016.Noah K. Murray—AP
This post has been updated with the Miss America Organization’s statement.