The National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised its Democratic counterpart by $500,000 in August, but it still trails in cash on hand as Republicans seek to take back the Senate next year.

According to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission, the NRSC raised nearly $3 million last month compared with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s nearly $2.5 million.

The DSCC ended the month with $9.2 million on hand and nearly $1.5 million in debt.  The NRSC has been debt-free for months and ended August with almost $5.3 million in cash on hand.

The NRSC received $229,000 and the DSCC reported $91,000 in transfers last month from affiliated or other party committees, which can include donations from Senators. The DSCC received $205,000 in contributions from political action committees, while the NRSC received $116,000.

The Senate committees have raised similar amounts so far this year. The DSCC has raised a total of 28.7 million and the NRSC has raised $27.2 million in 2011.

The GOP needs a net gain of four seats in 2012 to take control of the Senate in the next Congress. Democrats are defending more than twice as many seats as Republicans next year: 23 vs. 10.