Photo by Seattle Times photographer Ellen Banner
Students awash in purple gathered on the Capitol steps in Olympia Friday, calling for lawmakers to resist further cuts to higher education and to protect financial aid.

An estimated 350 to 400 people from the University of Washington's Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell campuses gathered at noon shouting "knowledge is power" and letting out "whoop whoops" for state need grants and work study programs.

Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, told the crowd that he washed dishes under the work study program to help pay his way through college. It was all applause and cheers for the senator, whose bill to grant universities temporary tuition-setting authority is making its way through the Legislature.

Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, also addressed the rally. "It's about time we come up with a dedicated source for higher education," he said, who is sponsoring a bill that would use lottery money to fund financial aid. The bill passed out of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development committee on Wednesday. Kastama told the students that they are "the most important natural resource we have in this country."

"We need a movement here," said Tim Mensing, president of the Associated Students of the University of Washington. "Without a movement we are going to keep getting cut."

After the rally, participants delivered to key lawmakers petitions from the American Federation of Teachers and the Washington Student Association. Each contained about 8,000 signatures, according to the ASUW, and implored the state to support higher education.