Given the stakes and the current economic climate, U.S. higher education officials across the country are stepping up their advocacy efforts, making their voices louder and more persistent than ever. They are vying for the attention of states struggling with increased demands for limited revenues, most choosing to divert dollars from higher education. States are grappling with many pressing fiscal demands, including Medicaid, public employee health care and pensions costs, unemployment insurance programs, and K-12 education funding. Many institutions are boosting traditional face-to-face lobbying efforts, creating networks to encourage alumni, business supporters, and parents to be in more direct and regular contact with state legislators. In the process, students are playing an increasingly critical role, especially in meeting lawmakers. In this article, the author discusses how institutions refortify funding messages to cash-strapped states by seeking strategic alliances with business.