ISU students’ friends are dropping out of college to work or going to community colleges, students said Thursday during an education rally in the Cardinal Room of the Memorial Union.

One student said that, because of tuition increases, students needed to take out more loans and get more jobs. He said by the time students get out of college, no job will be able to get them out of debt.

A group of about 25 people — including students, community members, school board members and state legislators — attended the rally, which turned into a roundtable discussion for educational funding.

Rep. Ed Fallon, D-Des Moines, discussed a bill he sponsors that would appropriate $126 million for Iowa’s three state universities.

Fallon said his bill would also appropriate $218 million for K-12 education and almost $12 million to community colleges, which is an increase of about $3.5 million for colleges through Iowa Tuition Grants, and $4 million to early childhood development.

He said all funding could come from repealing earlier tax cuts.

“If tax cuts were repealed, there would $858 million available, and I only want $362 million of it for education,” Fallon said.

This fall, Gov. Tom Vilsack ordered a 2.5 percent across-the-board budget cut — a bill Fallon said was mainly approved by Republicans.

Many people agreed action needed to be taken on the grassroots level and said students need to get involved if they want to do something about tuition increases.

Ako Abdul-Samad, a Des Moines School Board member, said he comes to these events because he wants to be accessible to students and to help students organize and put plans together.

“The questions students need to ask are: ‘What is my responsibility now? How can I ensure those that come after me can finish college at a high-ranking university?'” he said.

Abdul-Samad, who was also at Fallon’s rally in Des Moines earlier Thursday, said Fallon’s plan was the best plan he has seen.

Fallon said in order to help pass the bill, all present needed to write, e-mail and call their legislators.

“When legislators look at their e-mail, they need to see that it is so loaded that they sit there sweating,” Fallon said.

Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, was in attendance and said she agreed e-mailing makes a difference.

“Students need to know that they can have an influence on legislature, especially if you get a group of three, four, or five of you to talk to them,” she said.

Fallon has been in the legislature for 12 years, during which he has always been in the minority, he said.