The last two years, in which Republicans have controlled the White House and both houses of Congress, have been challenging ones for higher education. Some legislative proposals -- and much rhetoric -- have run counter to the ideas many higher education leaders espouse. Colleges have had mixed success in this environment, with some proposals that they feared not happening in the end, while others have been adopted. Whatever the outcome of the mid-term elections, new players will be in key roles in the next Congress. We will consider they key issues colleges will face in the new Congress, the likely agendas of key lawmakers, and strategies that colleges hope to use.