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Illinois vs Virginia: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Illinois offers a higher number of scholarships but lower average awards, making it suitable for applicants seeking more opportunities. Virginia, with higher average awards, may appeal to those prioritizing larger funding amounts.

State vs State

State A

Illinois

State B

Virginia

Quick comparison

MetricIllinoisVirginia
Active scholarships in catalog272126
Avg. award (where known)$1,958$2,836
Max indexed award$18,574$20,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Illinois presents a diverse scholarship landscape with a total of 238 grants available, averaging around $1,970. The maximum award reaches up to $18,574, with top institutions like Loyola University Chicago leading in grant distribution. Conversely, Virginia offers a more limited selection of 91 grants but boasts a higher average award size of approximately $2,890, with a maximum of $20,000. The Southeast Virginia Community Foundation is one of the prominent scholarship providers in 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 126 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Illinois

Illinois has a robust scholarship climate with numerous opportunities, though the average award size is lower, making it ideal for applicants seeking multiple funding options.

Virginia

Virginia's scholarship climate is characterized by fewer opportunities but higher average awards, appealing to applicants looking for 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

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.

Virginia

Median household income

$99,592

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,079

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

22.49/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$55,690

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 18.35 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

middle indicator band

SVI counties

133

ADI counties

133

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 133 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 133 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?
The average scholarship amount in Illinois is approximately $1,970.
How many scholarships are available in Virginia?
Virginia has a total of 91 scholarships available.
Which university in Illinois offers the most scholarships?
Loyola University Chicago offers the most scholarships in Illinois, with 611 grants.
What is the maximum scholarship amount in Virginia?
The maximum scholarship amount in Virginia is $20,000.

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 Illinois and Virginia.

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