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Idaho vs Montana: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Idaho offers a higher average award size, making it more suitable for applicants seeking larger scholarships, while Montana has a slightly lower volume of opportunities.

State vs State

State A

Idaho

State B

Montana

Quick comparison

MetricIdahoMontana
Active scholarships in catalog3933
Avg. award (where known)$3,625$2,639
Max indexed award$25,000$25,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Idaho presents a robust scholarship climate with an average award size of approximately $3,576 across 41 grants. The state's leading scholarship providers include the Idaho Community Foundation and the Idaho Golf Course Superintendents Association, among others. Conversely, Montana offers an average award size of around $2,527 from 38 grants, with notable scholarships from the Montana Coaches Association and the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs. Both states have a maximum award limit of $25,000, providing significant financial support for students.

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 39 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Idaho alongside about 33 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Montana using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Idaho campuses against Montana 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 Idaho

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Montana

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Idaho

Idaho's scholarship climate is characterized by a higher average award size and a diverse range of opportunities, making it appealing for applicants looking for substantial financial support.

Montana

Montana's scholarship environment, while slightly less lucrative on average, still offers a variety of grants that can benefit students, especially those engaged with local organizations.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

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

Visual comparison

Idaho

Median household income

$74,989

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,133

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

23.13/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$47,970

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 20.55 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

44

ADI counties

44

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 44 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 44 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.

Montana

Median household income

$69,565

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,129

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

23.91/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$48,740

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 36.77 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

lower indicator band

ADI band

middle indicator band

SVI counties

56

ADI counties

56

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 56 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 56 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 Idaho?
The average scholarship amount in Idaho is approximately $3,576.
How many scholarships are available in Montana?
Montana has a total of 38 scholarships available.
What is the maximum scholarship amount in both states?
Both Idaho and Montana offer a maximum scholarship amount of $25,000.
Which state has more scholarship opportunities?
Idaho has more scholarship opportunities with a total of 41 grants compared to Montana's 38.

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 Idaho and Montana.

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