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Hawaii vs Pennsylvania: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Hawaii may suit applicants who prefer a smaller scholarship pool with a slightly higher average award, while Pennsylvania may fit students who want a much larger volume of opportunities and a higher top-end award. Applicants comparing the two should weigh breadth of options in Pennsylvania against Hawaii’s somewhat stronger average award size.

State vs State

State A

Hawaii

State B

Pennsylvania

Quick comparison

MetricHawaiiPennsylvania
Active scholarships in catalog38125
Avg. award (where known)$3,184$3,131
Max indexed award$20,000$40,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

Hawaii and Pennsylvania present different scholarship climates for applicants in 2026. Hawaii shows 44 listed scholarship opportunities with an average award of 3,568.18 and a maximum award of 20000. Pennsylvania shows 145 listed scholarship opportunities with an average award of 3,319.83 and a maximum award of 40000.

From a volume standpoint, Pennsylvania offers a much broader scholarship market than Hawaii, which can matter for students who want more application pathways. On average award size, Hawaii is slightly stronger based on the available data. On maximum award size, Pennsylvania reaches a higher ceiling.

The strongest scholarship organizations by listed opportunity count in Hawaii are AFCEA Hawaii with 9, Wai'anae Hawaiian Civic Club with 5, and Hawai'i Lodging and Tourism Association and Hawaii Education Association with 3 each. In Pennsylvania, the leading organizations are Philadelphia Foundation with 22, POISE Foundation with 15, and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials-Philadelphia Chapter with 13. For applicants, that means Pennsylvania appears deeper and more diversified, while Hawaii may feel more targeted and selective.

Top Scholarship Providers in Hawaii

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Pennsylvania

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Hawaii

Hawaii feels smaller and more focused for applicants: fewer total scholarship opportunities, but a slightly higher average award size than Pennsylvania based on the available data.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania feels broader and more competitive: many more scholarship opportunities overall, a slightly lower average award size, and a higher maximum award ceiling.

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.

Pennsylvania

Median household income

$78,689

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,133

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

22.17/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$49,690

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 27.55 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

67

ADI counties

67

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 67 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 67 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

Which state has more scholarship opportunities in 2026?
Pennsylvania has more listed scholarship opportunities, with 145 compared with Hawaii's 44.
Which state has the higher average scholarship award?
Hawaii has the higher average listed award at 3568.181818181818, compared with 3319.8347107438017 in Pennsylvania.
Which state has the higher maximum scholarship amount?
Pennsylvania has the higher maximum listed award at 40000, while Hawaii's maximum listed award is 20000.
Who are the strongest scholarship providers in each state?
In Hawaii, the leading organizations by listed scholarship count are AFCEA Hawaii, Wai'anae Hawaiian Civic Club, Hawai'i Lodging and Tourism Association, and Hawaii Education Association. In Pennsylvania, the leaders are Philadelphia Foundation, POISE Foundation, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials-Philadelphia Chapter, Community Foundation of Fayette County, and Project Management Institute.

Sources and official pages

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

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

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