Students shouted chants for lawmakers to “Make the right decision, for higher education,” while holding banners displaying how much their tuition had gone up this year alone.

“We just want legislators to pay attention to us and not cut our budget,” said Jeremiah Stanghini, a psychology senior from Saginaw Valley State University.

“The more you put into higher education the more the economy will grow in later years.”

There were a few students who protested against higher education funding and passed out flyers about how students were being manipulated to lobby for higher education appropriations.

“I’m against the state spending my money on universities I don’t go to,” said Mark Andrek, a public relations sophomore at Lansing Community College.

“I should pay for my school and not everybody else’s.”

However, a few state senators and representatives spoke to the students about how they would continue to fight for state appropriations for the universities.

“We’re not here to deliver a partisan message, because access to our great system of higher education is not a partisan issue,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek.

“It is great for all of us, whether Democrat or Republican, to invest in our future.”

In a report delivered by Lt. Gov. John Cherry on higher education and economic development, states that invest in higher education tend to be high wage states because they attract high-tech companies, Schauer said.

“We are within hours of deciding the future of this state,” Schauer said.

“Do we cut higher education or do we invest in higher education?”

In a Senate bill passed on Monday, state universities and colleges would not receive any additional funding in the next fiscal year — the amount would be the same as last year.

“It’s ridiculous the way our state is now,” said Jess Herndon, a communication freshman from Western Michigan University.

“The fact is penitentiaries have more money than public universities.”