First Trust Strategic High Income Fund Declares Monthly Common Share Distribution of $0.025 Per Share for October

First Trust Strategic High Income
Fund (FHI):
Distribution per share:                                           $0.025
Distribution Rate based on the September 18, 2009 NAV of $2.74:   10.95%
Distribution Rate based on the September 18, 2009 closing market  11.24%
price of $2.67:
Cash Balance on September 18, 2009:                               $1,107,407 or 4.42% of Net Assets

The tax character of the Fund's fiscal year to date distributions, including this distribution, will depend on the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year. However, based on information for the fiscal year to date it is likely that the Fund's distributions will include a return of capital component for its current fiscal year. The final determination of the source and tax status of all distributions paid in 2009 will be made after the end of 2009.

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide a high level of current income. As a secondary objective, the Fund seeks to provide capital growth. The Fund pursues these investment objectives by investing up to 100% of its managed assets in a diversified portfolio of high income producing securities that the investment sub-advisor believes offer attractive yield and capital appreciation potential.

First Trust Advisors L.P., the Fund's investment advisor, along with its affiliate First Trust Portfolios L.P., are privately-held companies which provide a variety of investment services, including asset management, financial advisory services, and municipal and corporate investment banking, with collective assets under management or supervision of approximately $23 billion as of August 31, 2009 through closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, mutual funds, separate managed accounts and exchange-traded funds.

Hyperion Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. ("Hyperion Brookfield"), the Fund's investment sub-advisor, is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1989 to provide relative value driven fixed income investment strategies, such as core fixed income, high yield, and specialized MBS. Hyperion Brookfield managed approximately $16 billion as of June 30, 2009 for a client base that includes pension funds, financial institutions, mutual funds, closed-end funds, insurance companies and foundations. Hyperion Brookfield is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and other infrastructure assets with $80 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2009.

Past performance is no assurance of future results. Investment return and market value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

Principal Risk Factors: Investment in this Fund involves investment and market risk, management risk, value investing risk, below-investment grade securities risk, fixed-income securities risk, mortgage-backed securities risk, asset-backed securities risk, convertible securities risk, municipal securities risk, non-U.S. securities risk, non-U.S. government securities risk, equity securities risk, currency risk, distressed securities risk, preferred stock risk, inflation/deflation risk, market discount risk, leverage risk, derivatives risk, market disruption risk, portfolio turnover risk, and illiquid/restricted securities risk. The risks of investing in the Fund are spelled out in the prospectus, shareholder report and other regulatory filings.

The Fund's daily closing New York Stock Exchange price and net asset value per share as well as other information can be found at www.ftportfolios.com or by calling 1-800-988-5891.

SOURCE: First Trust Strategic High Income Fund

First Trust Strategic High Income Fund 
Press Inquiries: Jane Doyle, 630-765-8775 
Analyst Inquiries: Jeff Margolin, 630-915-6784 
Broker Inquiries: Jeff Margolin, 630-915-6784