“Revise and resubmit,” Madison, an associate professor of history, said gravely Wednesday as he stood in the Legislative Office Building alongside other academics, state college students and Democrats who decried the plan as a potential blow to higher education and individual dreams.

“Why is this budget making it harder for me and my peers to stay in school and graduate?” Kelley said.

The Republican-sponsored budget — approved in the General Assembly earlier this month with the support of a few moderate Democrats — also calls for $300 million in cuts over two years to the UConn system, according to UConn leaders who warn of major shutdowns if the cutbacks become a reality. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has said he intends to veto the budget and is negotiating with lawmakers on a new plan.

Republican leaders have defended their two-year budget as practical at a time when the state faces a projected deficit of roughly $3.5 billion.

Speakers at Wednesday’s demonstration, organized by the Connecticut State University chapter of the American Association of University Professors, used another term: “austerity budget.” They cited the Roberta B. Willis scholarships and said doing away with the grants would hurt families and dull long-term economic revitalization if talented students cannot finish their college education.

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