SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

         NOTIFICATION OF REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES PURSUANT TO RULE 23C-2
                    UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

                         VAN KAMPEN HIGH INCOME TRUST II
                   522 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036

                       SECURITIES ACT FILE NO. 333-123443
                    INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05769


         The undersigned registered closed-end investment company hereby
notifies the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") that it
intends to redeem securities of which it is the issuer, as set forth below in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 23c-2 under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended, and states that it is filing this notice with the
Commission pursuant to permission granted by the Commission staff fewer than 30
days prior to the date for the redemption.

   (1) Title of the class of Securities to be redeemed:

           Auction Preferred Shares, par value of $0.01 per share, liquidation
           preference of $25,000 per share ("APS"), Series A and Series B.

   (2) Date on which the securities may be called or redeemed:

           The APS will be redeemed for each series on the following dates:

                         Series A on September 30, 2008
                          Series B on October 10, 2008

   (3) Applicable provisions of the governing instrument pursuant to which the
       securities are to be redeemed:

           APS are to be redeemed in accordance with Section 3 of the
           Certificate of Vote of Trustees Establishing Two Series of Preferred
           Shares.

   (4) The principal amount or number of shares and the basis upon which the
       securities to be redeemed are to be selected:

           Van Kampen High Income Trust II intends to redeem the following:

                          255 outstanding shares of Series A APS
                          345 outstanding shares of Series B APS


           Such redemption of each series of shares of outstanding APS shall be
effected pro rata.

           Please note that this notice serves only to disclose a proposed
redemption of each of the APS series.

                                    Signature

           Pursuant to the requirements of Rule 23c-2, Van Kampen High Income
Trust II has duly caused this Notification of Redemption of Securities pursuant
to Rule 23c-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned thereto duly authorized in the State of New York on
this 24th day of September, 2008.

                                         Van Kampen High Income Trust II

                                         By:  /s/ Stefanie V. Chang Yu
                                              ----------------------------------
                                             Name:  Stefanie V. Chang Yu
                                             Title: Vice President and Secretary