Bulletin for May 2026

Last Updated: 15 May 2026

How to prepare for academic year (AY) 2026/27

  • Learning Agreements are now available for AY 2026/27 on the Learning Centre (LC) Portal. Please arrange for your students who are returning next year to sign these as soon as possible. Please keep signed documents aside for September as this will help to prepare for inputting onto the portal. You can find more detailed information on this below.

  • You can now also download the payment information guides for AY 2026/27 from the LC Portal.

  • You should now enter holiday weeks onto the LC Portal. You can do this by selecting Maintenance – Holidays – 26/27 on the portal. Please enter all the weeks your school or college is on holiday.

  • EMA/WGLG students can also now apply online for AY 2026/27 through Student Finance Wales. Please encourage students to apply online where possible. Please also make sure that students and parents are aware that applying for EMA and WGLG does not affect any benefits currently paid to the household.

  • Please let students know that if they apply via paper application form they still need send in their original birth certificates. This is required as evidence of their identity.

Signing learning agreements

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 they intend to follow the terms of the EMA or WGLG FE scheme. Please 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 LC Portal. Students can sign the EMA or WGLG FE Learning Agreements in person on a paper form or digitally if you have created a digital version. 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 will start on 7 September 2026. This is when we begin to count the 10 working day period for students to sign their learning agreements. You can still update learning agreements and confirm attendances if your academic year starts earlier than this.

LC Portal opening early for half term

We're opening the LC Portal early for entries for the week beginning 18 May 2026. You can submit attendances from 21 May 2026, which makes sure allocations are in place before you break for the holidays.

WGLG review

The Welsh Government issued a report in response to an independent review in March 2026. You can read their response to the recommendations on the Welsh Government website.

WGLG Missing Evidence enhancement

We recently enhanced the LC Portal for EMA. You can now select the Missing Evidence hyperlink to see what is outstanding on a student's account. Due to the success of this enhancement, we'll be rolling it out across WGLG.

LC Services website for EMA and WGLG FE

Please remember the Learning Centre Services website has resources to support you with anything you may need for the new academic year. This includes:

  • publicity materials
  • updated guidance
  • service standards
  • news
  • information about SLC events for Learning Centres 
The LC Services website is available in English and Welsh.

EMA/WGLG FE support desk

Our support desk team is available from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday 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.