Worried students and their parents have a choice of headlines this morning. Are they to believe "Tuition fees blamed for soaring student debt" (Press Association) or the Guardian's "Average amount owed declines"?
A survey by NatWest bank found student debt at graduation has fallen on average for the first time in six years and attributes this to more students working during term-time and living at home.
It does not mention more generous student aid from the taxpayer which seems to be allowing the worst off students to take less paid work.
The alarmist headline is based on a study by the Push guide which predicts debt will go up as loans for top-up fees of £3,000 a year kick in.
Naturally the National Union of Students is alarmed. "Rising debt for current and future students who will be going through the system with much higher fees, could wield a negative influence on their psyche and their expectations," said president Gemma Tumelty.
The Push predictions are obvious but unhelpful. They fail to distinguish between the loan from the government's Student Loans Company at zero real interest - heavily subsidised by the taxpayer - and money owed to banks and credit cards. You'd be crazy not to take a loan on those terms.
The malign consequences of this debt hysteria are revealed today by a study from the University of Greenwich which asked sixth-formers how much they expected to have to repay when they graduate.
They apparently think someone on a salary of £16,000 will have to repay £70.75 a week - no wonder some students are being put off. The real deduction from their pay packet? just £1.73 week - £90 a year.
Graduates earning the average annual graduate starting salary of £19,000 would repay £6.92 a week. That's the message the government and universities have been struggling to get over in the teeth of debt doom-mongering. Find out more about student loans and payback here.
Even worse, among the "myths and misunderstandings" revealed by the Greenwich survey is that one in six students mistakenly believes that tuition fees have to be
paid up-front at the start of each academic year and a similar proportion don't know about the payment system at all.
In fact, fees can be paid back through student
loans once a student graduates, starts working and can afford it.
(The university can't resist pointing out that it is one of the few to charge less than the £3,000 maximum - £2,560 - and gives £500 bursaries to mature students.)
The truth is that students are getting a good financial deal at English universities - and an even better one in Scotland - though for some families it will pay to delay for a year to take advantage of the new deal announced by Gordon Brown in a £400m package for students.
If in doubt ask EducationGuardian.co.uk's resident Clearing expert, Maggie Scott, who will be answering your questions live online today and on Thursday.
