Published: 23/09/2025 · Last Updated: 3/09/2025

Bulletin for September 2025

Student applications

Students should apply now. To help promote the service, we’ve created posters to download and print to display in areas where students will see them. New EMA students must apply by 30 September to be eligible to receive full backdated payments.

For help with applications, students can contact the EMA helpline number 0300 200 7089. This will be open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

Service standard reminders

Reminders:

All new and returning students should sign a learning agreement. Students must sign this within 10 working days of an approved application.

You must confirm attendances every week. This must be done before 5pm on a Wednesday for the previous week’s attendance.

Remove any students who are no longer studying with you. You should remove them within 10 days of an approved application.

Full details of the service standards and guidance documents are available on the LC Services website.

If you've had a change in staff at your learning centre, please contact me to arrange EMA training.

Updates to the portal

We've made some changes to the LC portal to make things easier for you.

When it’s time to confirm bonuses, there's now an alert on the homepage. The alert will let you know how many bonuses you have outstanding. We'll send out a reminder nearer the time to highlight this.

The portal will no longer close at the end of an academic year. This will allow you to update any unconfirmed attendances and late learning agreements from the previous year.

Learning Centre Services website

We've enhanced the homepage of the LC Portal.

There's now an indicator to notify you if you have any bonuses outstanding for both January and June. This will populate for January when the January bonus is due.

We'll issue a reminder of the enhancement nearer the time.

EMA support desk

Our support desk team is available to answer any day to day operational questions about individual students, application processing, payments and system issues.

You can contact the support desk on 0300 200 7089 option 5 or email emainfo@slc.co.uk.