01 October 2018 
Matt Sisson, Projects and Membership Manager
The benefits of the funding system in England are being lost in the debates around student finance, according to a new blog post this week from David Thompson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Russell Group. Regardless of whether or not you think the current system is the bees knees, we’re stuck with it for at least a little while longer, and few would disagree with David that a better understanding of the new system – particularly among students and their parents – would be a good thing.
While the blog post points a finger at the language of ‘loans’ and ‘debt’ that is used to explain the system, it also acknowledges that simply “rebranding” the current arrangements “will not resolve legitimate concerns over whether the system is as fair and affordable as it should be”. Instead, it argues that “changing the mechanics of how information is communicated to prospective students and graduates” would “help ensure that student debt is properly understood; that disadvantaged young people are not wrongly put off university because they assume they cannot afford it, and that the wider debate on fees and funding is better informed”. And we would add that a better understanding of the broader value of universities wouldn't go amiss.
The blog post is a trailer for a communications briefing from the group, which includes lots of useful ideas that universities – RG or not – may wish to include in their own financial information to students. There are a few good examples already around the sector, although a bit of desk-based research we did here at BUFDG over the summer suggests there is plenty of room for improvement. And remember there’s nothing wrong with learning from/aping the best.
