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Montana vs Utah: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Montana offers a moderate number of scholarships with a higher maximum award, while Utah has a slightly higher average award size but fewer opportunities. Applicants may prefer Montana for larger awards or Utah for more frequent smaller awards.

State vs State

State A

Montana

State B

Utah

Quick comparison

MetricMontanaUtah
Active scholarships in catalog3323
Avg. award (where known)$2,639$2,800
Max indexed award$25,000$9,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Montana presents a scholarship climate with 38 grants available, averaging $2,527.27 per award, and a maximum potential award of $25,000. The top universities offering scholarships include the Montana Coaches Association and the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs.

Conversely, Utah has 27 grants with an average award size of $2,812.50 and a maximum of $9,000. Key scholarship providers in Utah include the American Water Works Association-Intermountain Section and the Fowler Family.

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 33 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Montana alongside about 23 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Utah using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Montana campuses against Utah 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 Montana

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Utah

Ranked by number of active scholarships

View all scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Montana

Montana's scholarship climate is characterized by fewer opportunities but higher maximum awards, appealing to those seeking substantial funding.

Utah

Utah's environment offers more frequent smaller awards, which may benefit a wider range of applicants looking for accessible funding.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

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

Visual comparison

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.

Utah

Median household income

$92,837

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,283

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

23.81/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$50,110

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

lower indicator band

ADI band

lower indicator band

SVI counties

29

ADI counties

29

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 29 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 29 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 Montana?
The average scholarship amount in Montana is $2,527.27.
How many scholarships are available in Utah?
Utah has 27 scholarships available for applicants.
What is the maximum scholarship award in Montana?
The maximum scholarship award in Montana is $25,000.
Which state has a higher average scholarship amount?
Utah has a higher average scholarship amount at $2,812.50.

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 Montana and Utah.

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