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Illinois vs Maine: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Illinois offers a larger volume of scholarship opportunities, making it suitable for applicants seeking more options, while Maine provides higher average awards for fewer applicants.

State vs State

State A

Illinois

State B

Maine

Quick comparison

MetricIllinoisMaine
Active scholarships in catalog27261
Avg. award (where known)$1,958$2,640
Max indexed award$18,574$20,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Illinois presents a robust scholarship climate with a total of 238 grants available, averaging around $1,970 per award. The maximum award can reach up to $18,574, with notable institutions such as Loyola University Chicago leading in grant distribution.

Conversely, Maine offers a more limited selection of 50 grants but with a higher average award size of $2,546, peaking at $20,000. The Finance Authority of Maine is a key player in providing scholarships within the 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 272 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Illinois alongside about 61 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Maine using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Illinois campuses against Maine 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 Illinois

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Maine

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Illinois

Illinois has a diverse and plentiful scholarship landscape, appealing to a wide range of applicants.

Maine

Maine's scholarship opportunities are fewer but offer higher average awards, attracting applicants focused on substantial funding.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

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

Visual comparison

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.

Maine

Median household income

$73,437

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,535

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

24.20/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$51,430

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 9.31 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

16

ADI counties

16

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 16 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 16 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 Illinois?
$1,970
How many scholarships are available in Maine?
50 scholarships
Which university in Illinois has the most scholarships?
Loyola University Chicago
What is the maximum scholarship amount in Maine?
$20,000

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 Illinois and Maine.

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