As I understand it, you are wanting to get your student set up to live in a RV year round. IMHO that is not a good idea. It will be neither cheap nor comfortable in Tennessee. Too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter; propane to heat a trailer will be as much as rent. It is do-able only if you have a nicely set-up 4 season RV.
There are few if any full time RV parks for the above reason. Just not much demand. Also because property values are high, and water and sewer rates are high. The whole area is booming, not just the college.
Unless there is some reason he can't manage it, a roommate will bring down the cost of an on or off campus apartment. If he can live on campus, other costs such as commuting, utilities, etc will be less.
Another option is to buy an inexpensive condo, and the payments will be less than rent. Get a roommate and that's a chunk of the payment right there. When he's done, you can sell, or keep it for a rental.
