Their goal, to bring attention to /*Governor Tom Corbett*/'s proposed funding cuts for state-supported universities.
The governor has proposed cutting state funding for universities in half. According to the Governor's budget office, for Temple that amounts to 3.8% of the school's total budget, or $82.4 million dollars.
According to Temple University, the proposed cuts amount to more than $90 million. And Temple officials say if that amount were made up solely by a tuition increase it would cost each in-state student an extra $5,000 next year.
The students, many of whom already have hefty student loan debts, call the cuts short-sighted.
"Ninety million dollars is a lot. To even cut $20 million… I mean, you can cut some fat. But $90 million, that's essential programs for academics and a lot of jobs lost," said Temple student body president Natalie Ramos-Castillo.
Temple's president has said the administration hopes to implement other cost cutting measures before resorting to a tuition increase. The students say the governor needs to look at other ways to balance the budget before cutting education funding.
"So really it's a question of priorities. You're going to spend more money on prisons, less money on schools so that you can send more kids to prisons. Who are we fighting for in Harrisburg?" said Temple senior class president Colin Saltry.
"The budget for prisons went up. They're not taxing /*Marcellus Shale*/ drilling, and they're making cuts to the most vital areas of the budget and our government," said Temple senior Alex McNeil.
Temple student organizers say this is just the beginning of their fight. They plan to join students from other state-funded schools to lobby in Harrisburg on April 26th.
Meanwhile, dozens of high school students gathered at the School District of Philadelphia building at Broad and Spring Garden on Wednesday afternoon.