Questions such as 'what is value in the student experience?' and 'how do we measure or assess value in higher education?' remain an under-researched area. However, in the context of marketisation and competitive forces in higher education, there is a need to unpack what is value in the student experience. In this article, a conceptualisation of value that can be applied in higher education (known as value-in-use) is introduced and applied to a specific and increasingly important aspect of the student experience -- student-staff partnerships. Qualitative survey data (n = 97) and interviews (n = 35) from ten cases of various manifestations of student-staff partnerships in the Australasian context is presented and assessed in relation to value. The findings highlight that student-staff partnerships may enhance value in the student experience and that value-in-use may be an appropriate lens through which to continue to explore how value is created and measured in the student experience.