04 July 2018 
Karel Thomas, Executive Director
Shakespeare gave the financial world many great quotes to hang their stories and metaphors on, with the Merchant of Venice the main source, but it was her namesake that Juliet Tam (UniversitesUK) invoked at yesterday’s Wonkhe conference when discussing whether student loans should really be called loans. Given that they are like no other loan available in the financial markets, several commentators throughout the day suggested it was no longer appropriate to call them by this tainted name. However, any name change now could be seen as a cynical attempt to rebrand so the confusion endures. As the wholesale misunderstanding of student loans, their terms, and the eventual amount repaid is rife amongst students and their parents, maybe, mused some at the conference, it is time for the lender to behave like any other lender, if they expect the borrower to behave like a borrower. Some in the audience would have liked to ask Ian Robinson of HSBC if he would expect the vendors of the products that the bank’s customers buy with the loans the bank makes to explain the HSBC loan terms to their mutual customers (did you keep up with that sentence?)
The quality and quantity of information about student finance on university websites varies considerably, but there are pockets of really good, clear information, with Cathy Burleigh from Oxford Brookes revealing that they have a page that everyone should look at and learn from. The thorny question of how to explain a university’s value and the “value for money” of a university experience was also a large part of the day’s proceedings and you can read more on the Wonkhe website and by following #HEFunding on twitter. AdvanceHE is holding a conference, "Let's talk value" on 11th September to showcase the learning from their project exploring Integrated Thinking and Reporting in Higher Education - best to book now if you would like to hear from colleagues who are trying their best to communicate the amazing value that universities create.
