A year ago, the U.S. experienced the first symptoms of economic unrest--a sharp spike in fuel prices, rising costs and rising debt, and a jump in foreclosures. Between May and June 2008, unemployment rose a half-point to 5.5 percent and 49,000 jobs were lost. American higher education has been on a collision course with financial reality for more than 25 years. This unprecedented economic downturn gives everyone a chance to finally find new models that will preserve quality and access, but within a less expensive paradigm. This paper reports the efforts made by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) in 2009 to help states handle their challenges.