APPLICATIONS are now being invited from high school and tertiary level students residing in the Caribbean for the 2013 Peace and Love Academic Scholarship (PALAS).

Some 100 students are expected to benefit this year.

According to Rula Brown, PALAS co-ordinator, applicants are required to write an essay of 300-500 words, maintain at least a B average, and be active in their communities.

Fifty-five Jamaican students have already benefited from the scholarship, which has been in existence since 2010.

Brown said he was motivated to start the scholarship after the killing of 18-year-old Bridgeport High School student and budding reggae artiste, Vanessa Campbell, whose body was dumped behind a Portmore post office.

“Vanessa was a budding reggae artiste and she did a couple of radio jingles for me. [After her death] I decided to award three scholarships to students from her alma mater and the support was so overwhelming, that we (PALAS) gave 13 scholarships in 2011,” he said, adding that 2012 saw them giving away 42 scholarships.

This year, Brown says the goal is to award 100 scholarships and computers all over the Caribbean.

And although fund-raising efforts don’t come without challenges, Brown doesn’t intend to stop, as he says knowing that there are some extremely brilliant students “and that they are potentially being starved from getting a good education by not being able to pay school fees which are out of their parents’/guardians’ reach”, is enough motivation to go on.

Brown, who hails from Jarrett Lane in East Kingston, is an Atlanta-based retired engineer and Internet radio show host. He seeks sponsorship through donations from colleagues, and from pledges.

Students can download application forms at peaceandlovescholarship.org. Deadline is May 15.