Bulletin for May 2025

Preparation for academic year 2025/26

Here are a few tips to make the transition to the next academic year easier for you and your students:

1. Learning agreements are now available for academic year 2025/26 on the Learning Centre Portal. Please arrange for students returning next year to sign these as soon as possible and put them aside in a safe place. This will help to prepare for adding them to the portal in September.
2. You can download payment information guides for academic year 2025/26 from the Learning Centre Portal.
3. You should now enter holiday weeks onto the Learning Centre Portal. You can do this by going to the maintenance tab of the portal and then navigating to the holidays section and academic year 2025/26. Please enter all the weeks your school or college is on holiday.
4. EMA Students can also now apply online or download the application form and guidance from the Student Finance Wales website.

Managing the signing of EMA and WGLG FE Learning Agreement forms

All new and returning students need to sign a new EMA or WGLG FE Learning Agreement for each academic year. For returning students, this is their formal application for support in that academic year. It also confirms that they intend to follow the terms of the EMA or WGLG FE scheme.

You should now encourage EMA and WGLG FE students who'll be returning in September to sign their learning agreements before the end of term. You can download the forms from the Learning Centre Portal.

Students can sign the EMA or WGLG FE Learning Agreements on a paper form in person. You can also continue emailing the agreements to your students if you prefer. You can accept return emails from students as confirmation that they're agreeing to their EMA or WGLG FE terms. Please store these return emails in an electronic file for audit purposes.

EMA and WGLG FE academic year start date

The EMA and WGLG FE academic year start date will be Monday 8 September 2025. This is when we begin to count the 10 working day period for students to sign their learning agreements.

If your actual academic year start date is earlier than this, you'll still be able to update learning agreements and confirm attendances for students before 8 September.

LC Portal opening early for half term

We're opening the LC Portal early for entries for the week beginning 19 May.

You can submit attendances from Thursday 22 May. This makes sure allocations are in place before you break for the holidays.

Online WGLG FE applications for academic year 2025/26

Due to an update to WGLG FE rates, there's been a delay in launching the online WGLG FE service for academic year 2025/26.

We expect this to launch on 2 June. Please keep a close eye on future communications for more information on this service.

New rates for new and continuing students for AY 2025/26

EMA applications

We're happy to announce that more than 90% of 2025/26 EMA applications have been online.

Please continue to promote the online application to your students and encourage them to apply online where possible. This should make the application journey easier and lead them to receive award confirmation quicker.

LC Services website for EMA and WGLG FE

Please remember our LC Services website can support you with materials ahead of the new academic year including:

• publicity materials
• updated guidance
• service standards
• news
• information about SLC events for Learning Centres

You can also sign into the Learning Centre Portal from the website. Please save this direct link: www.lcservices.slc.co.uk

For the Welsh language version of the LC Services website, please save this link: www.gcd.slc.co.uk