Florida's colleges and universities endured a grueling 2011 legislative session, unsuccessfully attempting to persuade Florida lawmakers to spare higher education from funding cuts amid a $3.8-billion budget shortfall.

Ultimately, the Legislature slashed state university funding by about 4%, assuming additionally that all schools will increase tuition by 15%. Lawmakers also cut the popular Bright Futures scholarship program by 20% and suspended the state's dollar-for-dollar matching gift program for large private donations to universities.

"It was a really tough year across the board ... a very, very tough year from the budgetary standpoint," says Mark Walsh, who lobbies on behalf of the University of South Florida.

Private institutions shared the pain. Lawmakers reduced funding for the Florida Resident Access Grant, a grant awarded to students who attend private colleges and universities in Florida, from $2,425 per student to $2,149. "We were at $3,000 per student four short years ago," says Ed Moore, president of the Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida, which lobbies for Florida's 29 private, not-for-profit schools.

Florida's private historically black colleges and universities also took a hit: Their $8.7-million appropriation is 7% less than what they received last year and 27% less than the $12.1 million appropriated in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

? Mark Walsh

Government relations director, University of South Florida

Mark Walsh? [Photo: Mark Wemple]

Smoke and mirrors: Two years ago, Walsh had to dispel a rumor that University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft had spent $2 million on a fancy yacht. The boat was actually a 15-year-old marine research vessel that USF had purchased to replace a 40-year-old vessel. Walsh says that certain "legislative personnel" wanted lawmakers to think otherwise to divert funding to their preferred project. "Misinformation and disinformation can be powerful — particularly when the timeframes are short," says Walsh.

Teamwork: "Sometimes our outside supporters have trouble seeing us all succeed because that football rivalry penetrates the legislative rivalry as well — but most of that is not driven internally by the universities or their lobbyists," says Walsh. "This year ... we're working together more than we're working apart."

? Kathleen Daly

Assistant vice president for governmental relations, Florida State University

Challenges: Changes to the state employee pension system — workers will have to contribute 3% of their salary to their retirement plan — will hurt universities when it comes to recruiting new faculty.

Kathleen Daly? [Photo:Ray Stanyard]

Local advantage: "Our folks around here on our campus are called upon more to testify to give expert testimony" because of FSU's proximity to the Capitol.

Unified strength: Representatives of the state universities "gather regularly during session, and we share our intelligence and we strategize together," says Daly.

Insider tip: "Don't burn bridges because your adversary one day may be your ally the next. Not may be — will be. That's the way this process works."

? Yolanda Jackson

Attorney, Becker & Poliakoff

Represents: Bethune-Cookman (Daytona Beach); Edward Waters (Jacksonville); Florida Memorial University (Miami)

Challenges: Historically black schools traditionally are associated with Democratic legislators but received their greatest allocation — more than $12 million — under Republican Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist. Gov. Rick Scott's budget proposal eliminated funding for all but one black Florida university, but the Legislature restored the appropriations.

Yolanda Jackson? [Photo: Daniel Portnoy]

Rewards: "Eighty percent of the students who attend HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) come from household incomes of less than $30,000 a year," Jackson says. "The majority are the first-time attendees of college in their families."

No. 1 rule of lobbying: "Tell the truth and tell both sides of the story. Sometimes your side is not necessarily the best side. Legislators and your clients appreciate you telling it to them straight," she says.

? Jane Adams

Vice president of university relations, University of Florida

Jane Adams meets with state Sen. Steve Oelrich.? [Photo: Eric Zamora/UF]

Getting creative: With funds tight, Adams has focused on getting the Legislature to allow the school to be more flexible with the money it has. This past session, for instance, the Legislature agreed to allow UF to offer students a spring/summer academic year, with students able to use Bright Futures scholarships for the summer session. Allowing students to bypass the crowded fall semester, Adams says, will create access for an additional 2,000 students by 2013.

The "E" word: "Since earmarks have dried up," she says, "we're not looking to Congress so much for that sort of federal funding," but federal contracts and grants continue to fuel university research. UF receives more than $600 million annually for research.

Victories: The schools defeated a House bill that would have deregulated athletic agents, potentially opening the door to more NCAA violations.

? Student Reps

University officials aren't the only ones playing the higher-ed lobbying game. At least three university student government associations have hired contract lobbyists in Tallahassee: The University of Central Florida Student Government Association pays GrayRobinson $40,000 for lobbying services; the University of Florida Student Government Association has Capital City Consulting on a $25,000 retainer; and the Florida State University Student Government Association pays Pittman Law Group $60,000.

Sean Pittman? [Photo: Pittman Law Group]

"It's much different than 20 years ago when 10 students just came up from a university trying to get in to see their local representative or local senator. Now they have people who work in the process every day," says Sean Pittman, who has assisted the FSU student government association on issues from tuition increases to student representation on the Florida Board of Governors.

Big Presence = Big Money

Florida colleges and universities have a significant lobbying presence at both the federal and state level.

Most colleges and universities — and the associations that represent them — hire well-connected, private lobbying firms to press their cases in Tallahassee and on Capitol Hill. In 2010, contract lobbyists earned more than $3.3 million representing various colleges and universities in front of state lawmakers, according to a Florida Trend analysis of state lobbying compensation records. In their quest for federal dollars, Florida schools spent upward of $3.3 million lobbying members of Congress. Restrictions in state law mean the schools typically pay for lobbyists with funds from their foundations.

Federal Lobbying (2010)
Institution	Lobby Expenses
University of Miami	$587,918
State University System of Florida	460,000
University of South Florida	400,000
University of Florida Foundation	280,000
Florida International University	348,499
Nova Southeastern University	360,000
Keiser University	210,000
Florida Atlantic University	120,000
University of Central Florida	120,000
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	100,000
Florida Gulf Coast University	85,000
Barry University	80,000
Florida A&M University	70,000
Florida State University	55,000
Source: Center for Responsive Politics

State Lobbying (2010)
Institution	Lobbying Firm	Legislative	Executive (range)
Barry University	Corcoran & Johnston	$20,000	$2 - $19,998
	Holland & Knight	0	30,002 - 69,996
Bethune-Cookman University	Becker & Poliakoff	20,000	0
Brevard Community College	Spearman Management	15,000	10,000 - 19,999
Brevard Community College Foundation	Spearman Management	65,000	50,000 - 79,997
Dade Medical College	Cruz & Co.	30,000	20,000 - 39,998
	Dutko Worldwide	20,000	4 - 39,996
Edward Waters College	Becker & Poliakoff	20,000	0
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	Pennington Moore Wilkinson Bell	20,000	4 - 39,996
Florida Association of Community Colleges	Governmental Solutions	10,000	2 - 19,998
	Southern Strategy Group	60,000	4 - 39,996
Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools & Colleges	Mortham Governmental Consultants	60,000	40,000 -79,996
Florida Atlantic University Foundation	Southern Strategy Group	60,000	4 - 39,996
Florida International University Foundation	ADF Consulting	20,000	0
	Florida Consultants	60,000	0
	Floridian Partners	40,000	4 - 39,996
	Gomez Barker Associates	35,000	0
	Johnson & Blanton	60,000	40,000 - 79,996
	Advocacy Group @ Cardenas Partners	15,000	10,000 - 19,999
Florida Memorial University	Becker & Poliakoff	100,000	0
Florida Southern College	Florida Strategic Group	20,000	4 - 39,996
Hodges University	J. Keith Arnold & Associates	20,000	4 - 39,996
Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida (ICUF)	Frank N. Tsamoutales	20,000	10,001 - 29,998
	Sachs Sax Caplan	140,000	4 - 39,996
	SKB Consulting Group	20,000	4 - 39,996
	Advocacy Group@ Cardenas Partners	40,000	20,002 - 59,996
Keiser University	Fowler White Boggs	100,000	80,000 - 119,996
Lake Erie College Osteopathic Medicine	T. B. Consultants	100,000	80,000 - 119,996
New College Foundation	Capital City Consulting	60,000	4 - 39,996
Nova Southeastern University	Corcoran & Johnston	20,000	4 - 39,996
	Panza Maurer & Maynard	225,000	225,000
	Smith & Ballard	60,000	40,000 - 79,996
	Rubin Group	20,000	4 - 39,996
University of Central Florida Foundation	GrayRobinson	70,000	50,000 - 89,996
	Southern Strategy Group	30,000	4 - 39,996
University of Florida Foundation	Brewton Plante	60,000	0
	Moreton Consulting	60,000	0
	Smith Bryan & Myers	50,000	4 - 39,996
	Southern Strategy Group	0	20,001 - 49,997
University of Miami	Blosser & Sayfie	25,000	10,002 - 39,997
	Larry J. Overton & Associates	0	80,000 - 119,996
	Ronald L. Book	140,000	0
University of Phoenix	Dutko Worldwide	60,000	40,000 - 79,996
University of South Florida Foundation	Corcoran & Johnston	100,000	4 - 39,996
University of West Florida Foundation	Heffley & Associates	20,000	4 - 39,996