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Maine vs Wisconsin: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Maine offers a higher maximum award but fewer opportunities compared to Wisconsin, which has a broader range of scholarships available. Applicants seeking larger awards may prefer Maine, while those looking for more options might find Wisconsin more suitable.

State vs State

State A

Maine

State B

Wisconsin

Quick comparison

MetricMaineWisconsin
Active scholarships in catalog6162
Avg. award (where known)$2,640$2,166
Max indexed award$20,000$12,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

Maine offers a total of 50 scholarships with an average award size of $2,546 and a maximum award of $20,000. The top universities providing scholarships include the Finance Authority of Maine and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine. In contrast, Wisconsin has 58 scholarships available, with an average award size of approximately $2,134 and a maximum of $12,000. Notable scholarship providers in Wisconsin include the National Dairy Shrine and the American Water Works Association-Wisconsin Section.

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 61 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Maine alongside about 62 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Wisconsin using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Maine campuses against Wisconsin 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 Maine

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Wisconsin

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Maine

Maine's scholarship climate is characterized by fewer opportunities but higher maximum awards, making it appealing for applicants seeking substantial funding.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin presents a more diverse array of scholarships, providing applicants with numerous options, albeit with lower average and maximum award sizes.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

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

Visual comparison

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.

Wisconsin

Median household income

$76,621

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,061

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

21.45/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$50,270

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 26.16 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

72

ADI counties

72

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 72 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 72 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 Maine?
The average scholarship amount in Maine is $2,546.
How many scholarships are available in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin offers a total of 58 scholarships.
What is the maximum scholarship amount in Maine?
The maximum scholarship amount in Maine is $20,000.
Which state has more scholarship opportunities?
Wisconsin has more scholarship opportunities with 58 available compared to Maine's 50.

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 Maine and Wisconsin.

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