Fusion Students MD Laura Kurt on why PBSA must step beyond buildings

Laura Kurt is managing director at Fusion Students

Rising concerns over student loans, the evolving value of degrees and ongoing uncertainty around immigration policy are all shaping how young people think about university in the UK.

But HE remains one of the UK’s greatest strengths. Demand for knowledge and connection is not diminishing, even if external factors shaping how students view HE are shifting. So, while these challenges are significant, they can be overcome – but we cannot continue to operate in the old silos. If we want more young people to choose university, we must remind them of what makes the experience so valuable.

Much of today’s narrative around university focuses narrowly on cost versus earning potential. But this misses the real-world value of the university experience. University is often the first time many young people meet others from different cultures and with different mindsets, academic interests and socioeconomic backgrounds.

University is where early professional networks are formed, through long-lasting personal connections. These networks go on to shape early careers and build the interpersonal and communication skills employers want but often struggle to find. In a digitally connected world, learning how to collaborate with people who think differently is more valuable than ever.

Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) operators, universities, recruitment partners and wider student‑facing organisations all influence a young person’s journey and must work together to improve the student experience.

Fusion Students builds strategic relationships across a diverse group of partners – universities, international agencies, schools, counsellors and community organisations – so that we aren’t reacting to a single recruitment cycle but planning for repeatable outcomes over a number of years.

Rather than focusing solely on conversion at the university application stage, we begin brand engagement at school age, when students and families start researching HE. This approach helps address questions long before they become barriers, while allowing operators and universities to present the full value of a UK university education as a single coherent story, both in academic and experiential terms. The result is a more joined‑up student journey that evolves in line with what young people need today.

The student experience

Universities have always invested in student welfare and support networks; as a core part of the HE ecosystem, PBSA operators now need to partner with them to offer a comparable residential life experience.

Fusion Students manages development, operations and investment under one roof, so everyone is aligned and the student experience comes first. Over the past year, we have navigated an intense mobilisation period and can now focus on moving beyond the role of accommodation provider to take part in conversations on what students need from HE.

We are deepening our partnerships with universities, expanding our collaborations with international recruitment agents and continuing to evolve governance structures, such as our Fusion Futures diversity board, to better support student wellbeing and lived experience. This approach reflects our belief that students’ residential and academic lives are inseparable and should be treated accordingly.

Ultimately, PBSA cannot succeed in isolation. If fewer people choose university, world-class accommodation alone will not secure the sector’s future. Now is the time for operators to play a more active, collaborative role in shaping a stronger, more future-proof HE ecosystem.

Laura Kurt is managing director at Fusion Students