For the second time in two weeks, college students will rally at the state Capitol in an attempt to save Michigan Promise scholarships.

Dozens of students from across the state gathered in Lansing last week to rally for the merit-based scholarship program, which was scheduled to dole out $140 million to 96,000 Michigan college students this school year.

But the next day, a joint House-Senate committee voted 4-2 to slash the program out of the higher education budget. That committee also voted to scratch $60 million in other financial aid and scholarship programs, including those for student nurses, part-time students and students at private colleges, the Lansing State Journal reported. The full Legislature has not yet approved the higher education budget.

On Tuesday, two car loads of University of Michigan students, organized the the U-M College Democrats, are driving to Lansing for a last-ditch effort to save the Promise money. The group placed 255 calls to legislators last week to protest the program's end, according to a press release issued by the group today.

At U-M, 6,096 students receive Promise money. Only 1,717 of those students demonstrate financial need to qualify them for additional aid.

The state has until the end of Wednesday to pass a balanced budget that would wipe out a $2.8 billion shortfall. Alternatives are the passage of an interim budget to extend the current fiscal year, or a partial governmental shut down, the Associated Press reports.

Federal stimulus money takes care of more than half the deficit.

Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter