Penn State President Graham Spanier said Penn State's proposed 2005-2006 state appropriation of $324.2 million will not stop the university's lobbying efforts to garner additional funds.

In an e-mail message, Spanier said he will make the strongest case possible for additional funding when he appears before the state House and Senate Appropriations Committees March 1, but he realizes the university may not have its full request met.

"The governor's budget recommendation falls short of our request, but it is within the zone we were expecting at this stage, given the difficult budget circumstances the state faces," he said in the message. "We will advocate for our originally proposed level of funding, but it is not likely we will receive the full amount of our request."

Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal will not affect plans for the Rally in the Rotunda to be held March 15 on the steps of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg.

"Now that we know the specific amount of money we are receiving, we know that we need to ask for at least $10 million or more in order to achieve our goal of bringing the rate of tuition increase to 5.5 percent," Council of Commonwealth Student Governments Governmental Affairs Director Kathleen Streaker said.

Spanier said he will do everything possible to keep the rise of tuition to a minimum.

"I am hopeful that we can keep our tuition increase as low as possible, and an increased appropriation is important in this regard," he said in his e-mail message.

Streaker said the appropriation amounts from Rendell's budget address will also be present on fliers posted around campus to get students involved with the rally.

"Hopefully students will be more responsive to specific numbers rather than just a general message," Streaker said.

College Republicans Chairman Andy Banducci said he supports lobbying, but he also feels the administration should look to cutting spending as a way to keep tuition lower in the absence of state appropriations.

"We're not opposed to lobbying," he said. "But we also realize that the administration may need to tighten their belts and cut spending to help combat the rising cost of tuition."

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said the university is very conscious of its expenditures.

"I don't think Andy Banducci has any idea how the university budget operates," Mahon said. "Penn State is known as an extremely cost-efficient university. Penn State has done more with less state funding for many, many years."

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Galen Foulke said he does not think Penn State needs to cut its spending.

"I think much of the university's spending is essential," he said. "Our research in areas such as agricultural crop disease and the creation of artificial organs affects the entire commonwealth and is crucial to its residents."

USG Governmental Affairs Director Kyle Metzgar said part of the high tuition cost comes from the emphasis placed on grants from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).

"PHEAA grants can be used by both public and private universities," he said. "That increases the tuition of state universities, who rely on their appropriations as a primary source of income."

If the rally is not successful, Foulke said there are other options for receiving more state appropriations.

"We will definitely find other ways of lobbying," he said. "For example, we may encourage students and their parents to write to their senators or representatives asking them to consider the pinch students find themselves in with tuition cost."

College Democrats President Megan Green said another effective way of lobbying will occur at the rally when students from each of the Commonwealth Campuses talk to the representatives from their respective district.

"We need to make sure the legislators realize that students voted for them in the last election, and they need to listen to us because of it," she said.