Three weeks ago, Penn State President Graham Spanier requested a 6.8 percent increase from last year state appropriations, but the proposed 2008 state budget only calls for a 1.6 percent increase.

Now, with another tuition hike imminent, Penn State students and alumni will visit Harrisburg this week to persuade state lawmakers to give Penn State more money for the next academic year.

The alumni rally, called Penn State Capital Day 2007, will take place at 5 p.m. today, and the sixth-annual, student-attended Rally in the Rotunda will be at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Alumni rally organizers expect more than 200 people, including about 50 state legislators, to attend, said Alan Janesch, the director of the Penn State Grassroots Network, which is part of the Alumni Association.

In an e-mail message, Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG) Governmental Affairs Director Sing Wong wrote that a minimum of 100 students from Commonwealth Campuses are expected at the student rally, as well as an unspecified number of students from University Park.

CCSG Vice President George Khoury said that's a conservative estimate and he expects more students than last year's total of 273 because of a resolution CCSG passed that explained the rally's purpose to faculty and encouraged them to allow students to go.

Khoury said the Faculty Senate leadership has been supportive of students attending the rally and forwarded the resolution to all faculty senators, adding that he's heard of some professors offering extra credit to students who attend the rally because "it's something you can't get in the classroom."

University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Hillary Lewis said UPUA is taking about 15 students to Harrisburg and College Democrats spokesman Eliot Schmidt said between 20 and 30 people are traveling with the College Democrats. College Republicans chairman Todd Taylor said an unknown number of group members from the College Republicans would attend.

Schmidt said Commonwealth Campus students have traditionally had a stronger presence at the rally than University Park students and College Democrats have been working with CCSG to increase University Park's involvement.

If Penn State's request for a 6.8 percent increase over last year's appropriations is granted, in-state University Park students could have their lowest tuition increase since the 2000-02 academic year -- only 4.8 percent. If the appropriations are lower, however, tuition hikes could be larger.

"Students are aware of it [rising tuition rates], but they're not sure what they can do to help change it," Schmidt said. "You don't have to take part in this rally to make a difference. You can call your local representative and lobby them or e-mail them. Lobbying is sort of like a four-letter word, but get some personal time in, and let your representative know that it's a problem."

Khoury said a big focus of the student trip is meeting with and lobbying legislators.

"The rally will be big, but talking to legislators and telling them why funding Penn State is worth it is also important," he said.

Schmidt said although university administration has lobbied state legislators for increased appropriations, the university still does not receive what it needs to keep tuition low.

"The representatives and the people in the state House aren't hearing from the people who are directly affected, which is us, the students," Schmidt said. "They need to hear it directly from us."

The Penn State Capital Day 2007 will also feature "advocacy" for Penn State, but the alumni rally will acknowledge and celebrate Penn State's special connection to state government as the state's land grant university, Janesch said.

Members of the College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Outreach and the College of Medicine will also be at the rally to demonstrate the university's effect on the commonwealth, Janesch said.

Before the rally, volunteers will talk to legislators about Penn State's goals and needs, Janesch said. He said he thinks the discussions will make a difference.

"That kind of outreach to elected officials multiplied by district to district to district to district can't help but have an impact," Janesch said.

Spanier and Penn State Alumni Association Executive Director Roger Williams will speak during the alumni events, and CCSG President Jerry Livingston and Penn State alumnus Rep. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne County) will speak at the student rally.

"If over 2,000 students can get together to change a national holiday -- Saint Patrick's Day to State Patty's Day -- then I don't see why that many students can't rally for higher appropriations," Lewis said. "If that many students were to rally in Harrisburg, I don't think they'd have any problem giving us more money."