20 June 2018 
Matt Sisson, Projects and Membership Manager
Over the last few week’s we’ve covered the steady stream of publications and commentary on the HE Value for Money debate, with recent contributions from the Lords and the Department for Education particular highlights. This week Universities UK has joined in, with a publication that, while not explicitly about VfM, explores student knowledge of the English HE financial system and their expectations of fees and support.
It helpfully confirms what BUFDG has regularly mentioned, that one of the biggest issues in the debate is the lack of understanding, among students and their parents, of how the system actually works. As the press release says, “many students are not aware that the graduate contributions system differs to conventional 'debt'. Focus groups found that students were not always aware, for example, that the amount graduates pay back each month for their student loan depends on what they earn, not on how much is borrowed.”
UUK concludes that the misunderstanding “risks putting people off due to unfounded concerns around costs and 'debt', and recommends "that the government works in partnership with schools, universities and campaign groups to simplify the information on fees and loans and to ensure it is accessible to all prospective students.” Helpfully, “today's call is backed by Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com and head of the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information 2011-2013.” Universities could do worse than putting this link to a brilliant page on MSE in big letters on the front page of their own websites.
