DENVER -- Dozens of college students, worried about rising tuition costs, marched from the Auraria campus to the state Capitol Monday.

Chanting, "Fund our future, fund our future," the students sent a message to budget-minded lawmakers about the importance of higher education and the importance of keeping it affordable.

"We're not going to come out and say don't cut higher education, because we understand it has to happen," said Andrew Bateman, president of the Metro State College student government. "But we want to make sure that the cuts happen in an equitable way that makes sense."

Metro State student Esther Varela was among the marchers.

"I'm a single mom of three boys," Varela told 7NEWS. "It's very hard and if tuition rises, I'm in trouble."

Tuition rates jumped 6.78 percent at Metro this year.

Next year it's expected to shoot up another 7 percent.

College president Stephen Jordan said the school is at a critical juncture.

"Applications from traditional high school students are up 35 percent," he told 7NEWS. "Some of that has to do with affordability, some with the urban setting."

Jordan said Metro State's tuition is half the average of peer institutions in Texas and California.

"Students should be concerned about the reliance over time on tuition but at the same time it remains a bargain in Colorado," he said.

The chairman of the House education committee said Colorado ranks 48th, 49th or 50th in funding higher education.

Rep. Mike Merryfield, D-Colorado Springs, said, “We’ve got to go to the public and say do you want the best quality K-12 education and higher education, transportation, medical needs and health care that we can provide, or are you content with second or third rate?”

Merryfield said education funding is closely linked to a bill that would repeal the 6 percent spending cap on general fund revenues.

Some students say it’s unfair for funding to be cut 20 percent during a lean year, but only allowed to grow 6 percent during more robust times.

But Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial said, “We’re fortunate in Colorado to have spending caps.”

Balmer said Colorado is in far better shape that many states that don’t have spending caps. He cited California as an example, noting that the Golden State has a budget deficit of more than $40 billion, while Colorado’s is $600 million.

“I think that higher education (in Colorado) will be spared the dramatic cuts that we could have had if we didn’t have the spending cap in place in previous years,” said Balmer.

The Senate will vote on the bill to repeal the 6 percent cap Tuesday morning.

If it passes on the floor, it moves on to the House.