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Hawaii vs Illinois: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Hawaii offers a smaller average award but a unique cultural context, while Illinois provides a higher potential award size and more opportunities, making it suitable for applicants seeking larger scholarships.

State vs State

State A

Hawaii

State B

Illinois

Quick comparison

MetricHawaiiIllinois
Active scholarships in catalog38272
Avg. award (where known)$3,184$1,958
Max indexed award$20,000$18,574

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, the scholarship landscape presents distinct opportunities in Hawaii and Illinois. Hawaii features 33 scholarships with an average award of approximately $2,894, while Illinois boasts 238 scholarships with a significantly higher average award of about $1,970. The maximum award in Illinois can reach up to $18,574, compared to Hawaii's maximum of $5,000. Applicants should consider their financial needs and the type of support available in each state.

Final verdict explanation

ScholarshipTop publishes this supplemental “Final verdict explanation” whenever the primary matchup body for 2026 skews thinner than editorial depth standards. The comparison table summarizes about 38 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Hawaii alongside about 272 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Illinois using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Hawaii campuses against Illinois footprints should corroborate every figure with authoritative financial aid disclosures, state higher-ed portals, endowed scholarship riders, reciprocal tuition agreements, Honors supplements, or graduation timelines before staking savings plans.

After reviewing the matchup metrics above, continue with Matches-style browsing, internationally inclusive corridors when visas matter, streamlined application corridors when time is scarce, followed by essay hubs and evergreen resource articles covering drafting workflows, budgeting, appeals, parental contribution conversations, and scholarship renewals tied to academic performance. ScholarshipTop provides these cues as scaffolding; students still validate final award letters directly with campuses and adjust strategy whenever policies evolve during 2026 and afterward.

Top Scholarship Providers in Hawaii

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Illinois

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Hawaii

Hawaii's scholarship climate is characterized by fewer opportunities and lower average awards, appealing to those who value local cultural connections.

Illinois

Illinois offers a robust scholarship climate with a higher volume of opportunities and larger award sizes, suitable for applicants seeking substantial financial support.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

State-level affordability context to complement scholarship climate above - not ScholarshipTop grant totals.

Visual comparison

Hawaii

Median household income

$98,864

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$2,433

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

31.43/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$56,320

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 22.35 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.

Public planning context

Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.

CDC SVI band

middle indicator band

ADI band

lower indicator band

SVI counties

5

ADI counties

4

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 5 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 4 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.

Illinois

Median household income

$83,872

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,002

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

21.12/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$51,960

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 32.18 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.

Public planning context

Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.

CDC SVI band

middle indicator band

ADI band

middle indicator band

SVI counties

102

ADI counties

102

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 102 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 102 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.

Sources: Census ACS, HUD FMR, MIT Living Wage, BLS OEWS, and public reference datasets where available. Rent figures may reflect metro or state averages.

Public safety context uses aggregate public data and is included only as planning context.

Reference only - not ScholarshipTop eligibility rules or guarantees.

Data availability varies by school, city, state, and source year.

FAQ

What is the average scholarship amount in Hawaii?
The average scholarship amount in Hawaii is approximately $2,894.
How many scholarships are available in Illinois?
Illinois has a total of 238 scholarships available.
What is the maximum scholarship amount in Illinois?
The maximum scholarship amount in Illinois can reach up to $18,574.

Sources and official pages

Official and high-authority pages used to support this State vs State comparison.

More guides around this State vs State comparison

Internal reading paths around scholarship search, application strategy, and essay preparation for students comparing Hawaii and Illinois.

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