"It ought to be recognized for what it adds to the community," he says. "They are neighbors, not adversaries."

"There are a lot of misperceptions, especially about independent colleges," says Jonathan A. Brown, an executive of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. Brown says that a chief goal of his organization and others like it is to educate politicians about the importance of private higher education.

Taking It to the Hill

So how do lobbyists get their point across?

They must first find out what direction Congress and its members are leaning, says Jane H. Corlette, a director of government relations for Harvard. Then, she says, lobbyists speak with representatives and senators, trying to persuade these officials that their view is the right one.

Universities and educational associations with similar objectives often form coalitions, hoping a united front will better influence senators, representatives and state legislators.

For example, 57 local institutions of higher education, including Harvard, are members of Associated Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts, according to Roger Sullivan, the group's vice president and registered lobbyist.

The Massachusetts Association represents its member institutions on issues that are common to all of them, like loan reauthorizations, scholarship monies and research grants.

"With something that might be a bricks and mortar issue we would take a secondary role, because that would deal with a specific institution," Sullivan says.

Added Pressure

Especially in Massachusetts, where national fiscal problems have hit the hardest, Sullivan says a recessive economy has put added pressure on his organization to secure funding options for its members.

"We've had to step up our efforts and we've also had to be more creative, because there simply is not an expanding pool of money," Sullivan says. "We use anything that we think is going to get us what's right for our students."

At Harvard, lobbyists are working with organizations like the Massachusetts Association and Washington's National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

At the National Association, the higher education agenda is marked by concerns about taxation, student aid, overregulation and science, says Julianne Still Thrift, executive vice president.

Thrift and other lobbyists are seeking to reshape the Higher Education Act, which dictates public policy in that area, including student aid and funding for historically Black colleges, according to Brown at California's Association. The act will come before Congress for reauthorization this year.