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

Bulletin for September 2025

Online applications

Students can apply online. Where possible, please encourage students to do so. It's easy and helps us to process forms quickly.

Over 85% of our applications so far this year have been online. 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 within 13 weeks of their course starting to be eligible for full backdated payments. We record students’ 'application received' date as the first time they save or submit their application online.

Students can contact us about their application on our helpline number 0300 200 4050. This will be open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

If your students would prefer a paper application form, they can still ask for one. They can also download application forms from the Student Finance Wales (SFW) website. This is available even if they’ve started an application online.

Awaiting information status

Some new students' records may show on the LC Portal as ‘Awaiting Information’. This may mean that they still need to upload or send evidence, such as a birth certificate. Please ask your students to log into their online account and check what they still need to send or upload. Once we have this information we can continue with their application.

Updates to the portal

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

We've introduced an 'extenuating circumstances' column when confirming your attendances. This will help you to identify students who have ticked this box.

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.

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 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.

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.

EMA and WGLG FE support desk

Our support desk team is available to answer any day to day operational questions you have. This includes queries about individual learners, application processing, payments and the Learning Centre Portal.

As we approach our peak processing period, it is important you use all available resources. You should only escalate these types of queries to the Account Management team in exceptional circumstances.

You can reach our support desk on 0300 200 4050 (option 5 for WGLG, option 6 for EMA) or by emailing emainfo@slc.co.uk.