Financial aid: How big is the support in your state?

Wyoming gives out 99.8% more financial aid to its undergraduate students than its neighbor, Montana, which averages just $36 per scholar.

That’s according to a new analysis of financial aid distribution from the scholarship search website Scholaroo. The researchers collected data on the average aid amount per undergraduate to capture the “nationwide panorama of federal financial aid distribution,” the analysis reads.

“This analysis serves as a valuable resource for students, educators, policymakers and advocacy groups, empowering them to advocate for fair and equitable access to higher education for all students,” Scholaroo contends.

How much does your state spend on its students? According to the data, the 10 states that spend the most include:

1. Wyoming ($16,340 per undergraduate)
2. South Carolina ($3,052 per undergraduate)
3. Tennessee ($2,252 per undergraduate)
4. New Mexico ($2,242 per undergraduate)
5. Georgia ($2,160 per undergraduate)
6. New Jersey ($2,038 per undergraduate)
7. California ($1,751 per undergraduate)
8. Louisiana ($1,632 per undergraduate)
9. Kentucky ($1,615 per undergraduate)
10. Virginia ($1,391 per undergraduate)

More from UB: Financial aid offices: How to stop a massive employee exodus

Scholaroo also ranked the states according to their share of undergraduates who receive federal student loans. Across all 50 states, New Hampshire has the highest percentage of students who receive aid (63.9%), followed by:

• Pennsylvania (52.5%)
• South Dakota (51%)
• Rhode Island (47.7%)
• Louisiana (44.4%)
• Vermont (43.5%)
• Massachusetts (43%)
• Delaware (42.8%)
• Maine (42.8%)
• Ohio (42.5%)

If you didn’t see your state on either list, you can view the full report here.