The BestRV Adventure Scholarship

About the scholarship

BestRV launched the Adventure Scholarship to encourage college students to write about the value of outdoor travel — not just RV travel specifically, but the broader role that outdoor exploration, road trips, and connection to nature plays in education, career formation, and personal development.

The essay is open-ended within that scope. Past topics from competitive scholarship essays in this category include: the role of road trips in identity formation, how a backpacking trip influenced career choice, the educational value of national park visits, what working a summer at a campground taught about hospitality, or how van life shaped post-college plans.

This scholarship is not restricted to RV-related majors or interests. Any current undergraduate or graduate student is eligible to apply, regardless of major.

Eligibility

How to apply

1. Write your 500-word essay. Topic: "How outdoor travel has shaped my education or career goals." Stay within 500 words; longer essays will not be evaluated.
2. Prepare proof of enrollment. Current academic year transcript or enrollment verification letter.
3. Email your application to scholarship@bestrvrentalcompanies.com with the subject line "BestRV Adventure Scholarship Application — [Your Name]"
4. Include in the email:
   • Your full name, college/university, and current year of study
   • Your major and expected graduation date
   • Your 500-word essay (as attached PDF or DOCX)
   • Your proof of enrollment (as attached PDF)
   • Your contact information including phone number
5. Submit by April 1, 2027 for the 2027 award cycle.

How winners are selected

Essays are reviewed by the BestRV editorial team (Rob Boirun and Garr Russell). We evaluate on three criteria:

• Originality of perspective (40%): Does the essay offer a perspective on outdoor travel that is genuinely the writer's own, not a recycled cliche?
• Quality of writing (30%): Is the essay well-structured, clearly written, and free of obvious errors?
• Connection to education/career (30%): Does the essay make a credible case for how outdoor travel has shaped the writer's educational or career trajectory?

We do not select on academic achievement (beyond the 3.0 minimum), demographic characteristics, or financial need. This is a writing-quality scholarship, not a need-based one.

Past winners

What the award covers

The $1,500 award is paid directly to the winner's college or university financial aid office, applied toward tuition, fees, or housing. The award cannot be paid as cash to the student. This structure ensures the funds serve their intended educational purpose.

Winners' essays may be featured on the BestRV blog (with the winner's permission and proper attribution).

For college financial aid offices

If you maintain a scholarship database or financial aid resource directory for your students, we'd appreciate inclusion of the BestRV Adventure Scholarship. Please link to bestrvrentalcompanies.com/scholarship for current details.

The scholarship is a recurring annual award, so the page will remain stable as a reference resource.