Bulletin for August 2025

Academic year (AY) 2025/26

We need you to complete the following administrative tasks in preparation for the new academic year:

1. Make sure new and returning students sign a new EMA/WGLG FE Learning Agreement for each academic year. The EMA/WGLG FE scheme start date for AY 2025/26 will be 8 September.
2. Input signed Learning Agreements into the portal. Please do this within 10 working days of an approved application, or 8 September, whichever is later. If your students return to study earlier and have a signed Learning Agreement, you can confirm their attendance before 8 September.
3. If you've not already done so, please remember to enter your holidays for AY 2025/26. Over 75% of Learning Centres have done this already. There's more information about how to enter your holidays on the Learning Centre Services website.
4. Remove any students who are no longer studying with you from the AY 2025/26 portal as soon as possible.

Changes in EMA admin staff at your Learning Centre

If there's been a change in staff administering EMA at your Learning Centre please contact me to arrange a training session either online or face to face.

Student applications

New students

Students should apply online where possible, and as early as possible. Paper application forms are also available on the SFW website to print off.

To be eligible for backdated EMA payments to the start of the academic year, students must apply within 13 weeks of the course start date. Applications received after the 13 weeks will still be eligible for backdated pay but only to the approximate time we received their application form.

Please encourage students to apply as soon as possible.

Returning students

Returning students do not need to submit an application. Instead, their signed AY 2025/26 EMA agreement acts as their application to reapply for support for a further year.

Student Finance Wales wrote to returning students during the Spring to let them know the next steps to follow for AY 2025/26.

Learning Centre Services website

Remember that there's guidance and promotional materials on the Learning Centre Services website.

There's also an example of a fair and realistic Learning Agreement available, should yours need updating.

There's AY 2025/26 Learning Agreements and payment information guides on the LC Portal in the downloads section.

System enhancements

WGLG FE withdrawals

We've enhanced the LC Portal to simplify how you withdraw a student should they decide not to continue with their studies mid-year.

Previously, you needed to suspend the student before withdrawing them. Now you can select the withdraw option.

Extenuating circumstances indicator

We've enhanced the attendance worklist page for both EMA and WGLG FE.

There is now an indicator to help identify students who have extenuating circumstances. This will help you make an informed decision when marking their attendance.

EMA and WGLG FE 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 4050 (option 6 for EMA queries, option 5 for WGLG FE) or email emainfo@slc.co.uk.