Scholarship Program

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Every year, RCA awards scholarships to America’s top students at universities throughout the United States in the Construction Management and Construction Sciences major programs.

RCA’s national scholarship program helps students to prosper with thanks to our members.

Congratulations to the following 2025 RCA Intern Scholarship Award recipients:

  • Josiah Senethavilay, Boise State University, ESI Construction
  • Katherine Schiltz, Northern Michigan University, Healy Construction Services

RCA INTERN SCHOLARSHIP

In 2025, RCA's Intern Scholarship program awarded multiple $3,000 scholarships to selected students who completed an internship at an RCA member company. 

Eligibility Requirements

  • Complete at least a two-month internship with a current RCA member company, between January 1-December 31 of the prior year (e.g., the 2026 award will be given to a student who interned in 2025)
  • Be an undergraduate student of Construction Science, Construction Management, Building Construction, Construction Technology, or a similar academic discipline at an accredited university or college.
  • Be enrolled as a full-time student and enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester credit hours (or equivalent quarter hours) during the time scholarship assistance is received (spring semester).
  • Be in good standing when selected; good academic standing is defined as a 3.25 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall.
  • Be a United States Citizen.
  • Interns may receive the award one time only.

Process for Nomination

  • An RCA member company representative completes the online nomination form, submitting it with the student's supporting materials before the deadline. (A PDF copy of the nomination form is also available here.)
  • Deadline to submit is Wednesday, February 11, 2026. 
  • Companies may nominate multiple interns by submitting a separate nomination form for each candidate. 

 Required Supporting Materials – Please note: Documents must NOT be password-protected.

  • Résumé
  • Most recent college transcript (can be an unofficial transcript)
  • Brief Statement from nominee on what this scholarship means to him/her

Timeline

  • Recipients will be notified by mid-April 2026.
  • Award checks, payable directly to the college/university, will be sent by July 31, 2026.

CONTRIBUTIONS

The Scholarship Program only accepts contributions from RCA members. Contributions can be made at any time and are recognized in our newsletter and website (Click here for a list of contributors).

RCA welcomes contributions from members in support of the scholarship program. Click here to contribute online. If you need an invoice, you can request one when completing the online form or contact the RCA office by email at [email protected] or phone 800-847-5085. 

RCA is a 501(c)6 organization. Contributions are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions, but may be deductible as a business expense. Check with your financial advisor/accountant.

UNIVERSITY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Note: University Student Scholarship applications are not being accepted for the 2026 program year. 

Qualifications

  • Be an undergraduate student of Construction Science, Construction Management, Building Construction, Construction Technology, or a similar academic discipline at an accredited university or college

  • United States Citizen

  • Enrolled as a full-time student and enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester credit hours (or equivalent quarter hours) during the time he/she is receiving scholarship assistance (Fall semester)

  • Demonstrate a declared interest in pursuing a career in commercial construction following graduation

  • Be in good standing when selected; good academic standing is defined as a 3.25 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall.

Application Process

Our goal is to develop relationships with schools that have strong construction management programs, where RCA representatives can make scholarship and classroom presentations to educate students about opportunities in retail construction. We also want to ensure a geographically diverse pool of schools, in hopes of connecting these top students with our members across the country. Our scholarship award is $3,000.

  • A student from each of the following schools is selected to receive a Retail Contractors Scholarship: Brigham Young University, California Polytechnic State University, Clemson University, Kansas State University, Minnesota State University Mankato, Pratt Institute, Texas A&M University and East Carolina University.

  • RCA contacts school representatives in the late fall and asks them to select three top students to complete a scholarship application. Those applications are due by January 31 of each year. 
  • The RCA Scholarship Committee reviews and scores applications received and selects the top candidate from each school to receive an award. Scholarship decisions are made by the end of April, with scholarship checks for the fall semester being sent to schools by late July of each year.