Value for money is experienced, not calculated

“This blog was kindly authored by Cheryl Watson, Vice President – Education UK, TechnologyOne . During the recent HEPI and TechnologyOne webinar discussing 20 years of the Student Academic Experience Survey, one theme surfaced repeatedly: belonging . Not as a ‘nice to have’, but as something integral to the student experience itself. The newly published report , analysing two decades of survey data from more than 200,000 students, highlighted a remarkable consistency in what students value most. High-quality teaching, meaningful interactions with staff and peers, and a strong sense of belonging continue to shape how students perceive value for money and their overall university experience. What has changed significantly, however, is the context in which those expectations sit. As I reflected during the panel discussion, the story of the last 20 years is perhaps less about a changing purpose for higher education and more about changing expectations . Students increasingly arrive at university with expectations shaped by a wider world that is itself changing rapidly; technologically, economically and socially. Universities are no longer viewed solely as providers of education. They are increasingly expected to act as communities, hubs for connection, drivers of local economies and places that support students personally and professionally, as well as academically. The student body itself is becoming increasingly diverse in how it engages with higher education. Traditional assumptions about the ‘typical student’ no longer hold true. Institutions are now supporting a far broader mix of learners, including students living on campus, commuter students, franchise students, mature learners and students balancing paid work commitments alongside study. The Lifelong Learning Initiative, if rolled out successfully, will likely result in an even more diverse student body. Each cohort experiences university differently, and the webinar discussion repeatedly returned to the challenge of how universities design experiences that genuinely work for all students? The report also shows that while the foundations of a positive student experience remain stable, the realities of student life have shifted considerably. Cost-of-living pressures, changing patterns of attendance, increased commuting and greater demands on students’ time all influence how students engage with university life. One of the most striking discussions during the webinar centred on the ‘so what?’ question. As one participant observed, many of the charts, such as attendance gaps and financial pressures, appear to be slowly trending in the wrong direction. At the same time, universities themselves are operating within unprecedented financial constraints. What can institutions realistically do? For me, one answer lies in recognising that student experience is increasingly about engagement rather than transactions. This mirrors trends seen across many industries. In the workplace, for example, organisations have shifted focus over the past decade from customer and employee satisfaction to customer experience and employee engagement. The same evolution is visible in higher education. Rather than simply evaluating isolated interactions, students are now evaluating how an institution feels over time: whether they feel connected, supported and able to succeed within it. That is why belonging emerged so strongly and so frequently throughout the webinar discussion. Belonging is not only linked to wellbeing. The report also showed strong connections between belonging, perceptions of teaching quality and value for money. As Professor Nicola Dandridge reflected during the panel, there is an important question about whether excellent teaching itself helps generate belonging through meaningful engagement and participation. Professor David Green also reinforced this point powerfully, highlighting TechnologyOne’s contribution to the discussion around engagement and experience: There’s an opportunity for us to use technology for engagement in a really quite revolutionary way. At the same time, the webinar highlighted that engagement itself is changing. Attendance and engagement are no longer necessarily synonymous. Students may not always be physically present on campus, but they may still be highly engaged digitally, through online learning environments, collaboration tools and academic communities. Technology therefore has an important role to play, but not as a replacement for human connection. Instead, technology should help institutions better understand the student journey, identify where support is needed, and create more personalised, responsive experiences for increasingly diverse student populations. This becomes even more important as artificial intelligence begins to reshape higher education. Several panellists reflected on AI’s potential to transform student support and engagement over the coming years. Used thoughtfully, AI could help provide more personalised academic guidance and scalable support while freeing staff to focus on the human interactions that students continue to value most. Ultimately, the webinar reinforced that despite enormous societal and technological change, the core drivers of a positive student experience remain remarkably consistent. The challenge is designing systems, support models, and experiences capable of delivering those things which improve the student experience, consistently for a student population whose needs and circumstances are becoming increasingly varied. That is where collaboration across the sector will be critical. To continue the conversation around student experience, engagement and the role of technology in higher education, register your interest in TechnologyOne’s upcoming Virtual Showcase. on 30 June 2026. TechnologyOne is a HEPI Partner. Get our updates via email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address Subscribe The post Value for money is experienced, not calculated appeared first on HEPI .

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