Today they are gathering. Today they are raising their voices. Today college students and supporters alike are coming together to announce they will no longer let their dream of a university diploma slip by. March 4th has been deemed National Day of Action to Defend Education, and so far its defenders have come out in full force around the country to let schools and the government know that they will not sit back and have their dreams of a better life taken away from them.

According to CNN, the movement first started when California’s state legislature proposed one billion dollars in cuts to its education system. These cuts would result in cancelled classes, work furloughs for teachers, decreases in financial aid, and most troubling – a 30% tuition hike for students.

“The less affordable education becomes, the less likely low-income students will be able to get a college education,” said Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association and professor of history at California State University, Los Angeles.  California is far from the only state struggling with this dilemma. Georgia has proposed $300 million cuts on top of the $100 million that have already been approved for the next two years.

Over 122 protests, rallies, and marches have been scheduled in 33 states around the country today. If you’d like more information on what students and faculty in your area are doing to save education, log on to CNN.com for more details on events planned near your campus.