Nov 01, 2004 - Claremont, Calif. - Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, associate vice president for admission and financial aid, is one of 50 financial aid professionals to be named to the Hall of Fame of the College Scholarship Service (CSS), a program of the College Board. The awards are being given to those who have made significant contributions to the field of financial aid and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the CSS, which was created to administer scholarship money in a systematic way to talented students in need of funds for college.

The 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame Awards celebrate fifty individuals, chosen from a national pool, who have through CSS and College Board activities and services made significant contributions to the financial aid profession. The awards recognize financial aid administrators, living or deceased, who have significantly contributed to 1) "best practices" in the field, 2) the "body of knowledge" underpinning the financial aid profession, 3) development of successful advocacy and outreach programs and/or 4) development of meaningful training or professional development programs which encourage new financial aid administrators to be leaders in the field.

Copeland-Morgan received the award during the College Board national Forum in Chicago, III., Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2004. Also at the Forum, Copeland-Morgan served on a panel that examined past trends in financial aid and suggested a future course for ensuring aid and access to higher education for all students.

"Society is changing rapidly," said Copeland-Morgan. "Demographics tell us that things will never be the same again. If we really want to live in a society that embraces all people to partake of the American dream, then the opportunity to go to college has to be real. Without financial aid, this is simply not going to be a reality for a lot of students."

Copeland-Morgan has been a financial aid professional for 25 years. During her career, she has represented student financial aid interests in higher education on many critical issues, serving as past president of the Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and as chair of the Financial Aid Standards and Services Advisory Committee of The College Board. She currently serves on the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators' Board of Directors as a representative-at-large and as chair of The College Board's College Scholarship Assembly. She has also served as a faculty member for The College Board's Institute for Enrollment Management and was for 10 years a faculty member in UCLA's Continuing Education Counseling Certificate program. She has provided testimony to elected officials and other interested groups on financial aid policies affecting access, equity and minority participation in higher education.