In an effort to stop future cuts to higher education, ASMSU members are working to change legislators' perceptions of college students through a dinner next month.

At Thursday's Student Assembly meeting, MSU's undergraduate student government passed a bill for $800 to fund the dinner, which will bring 14 legislators and about 30 students together.

"It's important for us to be proactive," said Andrew Bell, ASMSU's director of legislative affairs.

He said if students waited to rally against specific future funding cuts, it would be too late to stop them from happening.

Jason Ardanowski, ASMSU's assistant director of legislative affairs, said the only time many lawmakers hear about students is through negative media, which can sometimes make them reluctant to support higher education.

"We want to sit them down with some of the highest-achieving students at MSU and give them an impression of what students can actually do," he said.

More than a dozen legislators have said they will come to the dinner, including Rep. Andy Meisner, D-Ferndale, who serves on the House Education Committee. He said changing legislators' perceptions could be "a tough nut to crack."

"I think that people probably do get the wrong idea of what's going on in colleges," Meisner said. "ASMSU is probably a springboard for people to get involved."

Meisner and other legislators were chosen for their involvement on appropriation or education committees, Ardanowski said.

"We aren't picking names out of a hat," he said. "We're selecting people who are on committees directly impacting higher education."

The students aren't randomly chosen either, Bell said.

College deans were encouraged to nominate several students, and nominees currently are being evaluated. But the dinner won't be the only time ASMSU and other MSU students make contact with legislators, Bell said.

"In the long term, every person who came will be one more we can talk with on every issue that comes up on higher education."