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Montana vs Wisconsin: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Montana offers a higher average award size but fewer opportunities compared to Wisconsin, which has more grants available. Applicants should consider their needs for funding versus the number of scholarships they can apply for.

State vs State

State A

Montana

State B

Wisconsin

Quick comparison

MetricMontanaWisconsin
Active scholarships in catalog3362
Avg. award (where known)$2,639$2,166
Max indexed award$25,000$12,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Montana presents a scholarship climate characterized by an average award size of $2,707.69, with a total of 27 grants available. The maximum award can reach up to $25,000, primarily offered by institutions like the Montana Coaches Association and the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs.

In contrast, Wisconsin has a more extensive scholarship landscape with 58 grants available, averaging $2,134.48 per award. The highest amount awarded in Wisconsin is $12,000, with notable scholarships from organizations such as 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 33 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana

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

Montana

Montana's scholarship climate is less competitive with fewer opportunities but higher average awards.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin offers a greater number of scholarships, making it more competitive but with lower average award sizes.

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.

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 Montana?
The average scholarship amount in Montana is $2,707.69.
How many scholarships are available in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a total of 58 scholarships available.
What is the maximum scholarship amount in Montana?
The maximum scholarship amount in Montana can reach up to $25,000.
Which state has more scholarship opportunities?
Wisconsin has more scholarship opportunities with 58 grants compared to Montana's 27.

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 Wisconsin.

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