More than a thousand college students and professors greeted lawmakers at the Capitol Tuesday morning.

They were protesting cuts to education and rising tuition

Earlier Tuesday, the streets of Tallahassee were filled with students and faculty making up a group called 'Fate of the State'.

They were rallying to raise awareness about the fate of higher education in Florida.

When students skip class....they usually don't hang out with their teachers.

Unless, they're both working together.

More than 1,000 students and faculty from FSU and FAMU crowded the streets of Tallahassee and marched to the State Capitol.

They stand and walk as one...in support of higher education future.
FSU student Edward Kring says, "Education is not an area where we should make budget cuts in, this is an investment not only for our futures but our nation's future."

As the Florida legislature begins its session, big budget cuts are looming.

Programs are being slashed, professors are leaving and University tuition may spike by 15%.

State Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda says, "We're sort of condensing on priorities, when a family has budget cuts, they look at what is really important to them and the chaff falls away and you get the wheat."

Jack Fiorito, a professor at the FSU Dept. of Management says, "Its cutting our future. We need to provide opportunities for people to compete in the world labor market that's facing us, we're not doing it by cutting higher education funding."

The fate of Florida's higher education hangs in the balance inside the legislative chambers.

As the session goes on, we'll learn what happens...but for now these students and faculty are making their voices heard.

Representative Rehwinkel Vasilinda says in the past, Florida focused its dollars on tourism and agriculture, and education was not a priority.

But she admits as the world is changing, its important to have Florida students remain competitive in the world, because the economy is directly linked to our education status.