Introducing a More Accessible Pricing Model

A New Chapter in Coffee Education

The SCA is transforming its global education pricing model to make learning more accessible, affordable, and equitable for coffee professionals everywhere.

Meet the new forward-looking pricing model designed to meet learners where they are, both geographically and economically.

Education costs will now vary by country, reflecting local economic realities.

We’ve organized countries into five groups based on data from the International Monetary Fund and the Purchasing Power Parity per Capita Index.

This approach ensures that both course fees for learners and license fees for trainers are scaled fairly and transparently.

This model applies to all SCA certificate programs, including the new Q Program.

A more inclusive, empowered global coffee community.

We believe education is the foundation of a thriving, equitable, and sustainable coffee industry - and the SCA is proud to lead this transformation. But we’re not doing it alone.

Through trusted relationships and shared values, we’re partnering with key institutions to expand our reach and impact. These collaborations help bring our programs and standards to more people, while respecting and leveraging local knowledge and infrastructure.

New to SCA Education? Here's how it works. 

We offer certificate courses through the following programs: the Coffee Skills Program, Coffee Sustainability Program, Coffee Technician Program, and the Q Grader Program. In addition, we offer a standalone certificate course: the CVA for Cuppers Course.

The SCA provides the curriculum, platform, and administrative services to trainers for a fee per learner and per trainer. Trainers set their own total price for a learner’s education experience, with some trainers covering both fees. 

Find You or Your Student’s Pricing Group

SCA course fees and AST license fees are organized into five pricing groups, with each group made up of specific countries.

  • For Learners, Course fees are determined by the learner’s country of residence.

  • For Trainers, License fees are determined by the trainer’s country of residence.

To identify the correct fee, check which group your country belongs to in the groups listed below.

  • Afghanistan 
    Benin 
    Burkina Faso 
    Burundi 
    Cameroon 
    Central African Republic 
    Chad 
    Comoros 
    Congo, Democratic Republic of
    Eritrea  
    Ethiopia  
    Gambia  
    Guinea  
    Guinea-Bissau  
    Haiti  
    Kiribati 
    Lesotho 
    Liberia 
    Madagascar 
    Malawi 
    Mali 
    Micronesia (Federated States of) 
    Mozambique 
    Myanmar 
    Nepal 
    Niger 
    Palestine, State of 
    Papua New Guinea 
    Rwanda 
    Senegal 
    Sierra Leone 
    Solomon Islands 
    Somalia 
    Tajikistan 
    Tanzania, United Republic of 
    Timor-Leste 
    Togo 
    Uganda 
    Vanuatu 
    Yemen 
    Zambia 
    Zimbabwe 

  • Angola 
    Bangladesh 
    Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 
    Cabo Verde 
    Cambodia 
    Congo  
    Côte d'Ivoire  
    Djibouti  
    Ghana  
    Honduras  
    India  
    Jamaica 
    Jordan 
    Kenya 
    Kyrgyzstan 
    Lao People's Democratic Republic 
    Marshall Islands 
    Mauritania 
    Morocco 
    Namibia 
    Nauru 
    Nicaragua 
    Nigeria 
    Pakistan 
    Philippines 
    Samoa 
    Sri Lanka 
    Tonga 
    Turks and Caicos Islands 
    Tuvalu 
    Uzbekistan 
    Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 
    Western Sahara 

  • Albania 
    Algeria 
    Antigua and Barbuda 
    Barbados 
    Belize 
    Bhutan 
    Bosnia and Herzegovina 
    Botswana 
    Bouvet Island 
    Brazil 
    Colombia 
    Dominica  
    Ecuador  
    Egypt  
    El Salvador  
    Equatorial Guinea  
    Eswatini  
    Fiji  
    Gibraltar  
    Grenada  
    Guatemala  
    Indonesia  
    Iraq 
    Kosovo 
    Lebanon 
    Libya 
    Martinique 
    Moldova, Republic of 
    Mongolia 
    Montserrat 
    Niue 
    Palau 
    Paraguay 
    Peru 
    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 
    South Africa 
    Suriname 
    Tunisia 
    Ukraine 
    Viet Nam 

  • Argentina 
    Armenia 
    Azerbaijan 
    Belarus 
    Chile 
    Costa Rica  
    Dominican Republic  
    Gabon  
    Georgia  
    Maldives 
    Mauritius 
    Mexico 
    Montenegro 
    North Macedonia 
    Réunion 
    Saint Kitts and Nevis 
    Saint Lucia 
    Serbia 
    Thailand 
    Trinidad and Tobago 
    Turkmenistan 
    Uruguay 

  • Åland Islands 
    American Samoa 
    Andorra 
    Anguilla 
    Aruba 
    Australia 
    Austria 
    Bahamas 
    Bahrain 
    Belgium 
    Bermuda 
    Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba 
    Brunei Darussalam 
    Bulgaria 
    Canada 
    Cayman Islands 
    China 
    Christmas Island 
    Cocos (Keeling) Islands 
    Cook Islands  
    Croatia  
    Curaçao  
    Cyprus  
    Czechia  
    Denmark  
    Estonia  
    Falkland Islands (Malvinas)  
    Faroe Islands  
    Finland  
    France  
    French Guiana  
    French Polynesia  
    Germany  
    Greece  
    Greenland  
    Guadeloupe  
    Guam  
    Guernsey  
    Guyana  
    Holy See (Vatican City State)  
    Hong Kong SAR  
    Hungary  
    Iceland  
    Ireland 
    Isle of Man 
    Israel 
    Italy 
    Japan 
    Jersey 
    Kazakhstan 
    Korea, Republic of 
    Kuwait 
    Latvia 
    Liechtenstein 
    Lithuania 
    Luxembourg 
    Macao 
    Malaysia 
    Malta 
    Mayotte 
    Monaco 
    Netherlands 
    Netherlands Antilles 
    New Caledonia 
    New Zealand 
    Norfolk Island 
    Northern Mariana Islands 
    Norway 
    Oman 
    Panama 
    Poland 
    Portugal 
    Puerto Rico 
    Qatar 
    Romania 
    Russian Federation 
    Saint Barthélemy 
    Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 
    Saint Martin (Dutch) 
    Saint Martin (French) 
    San Marino 
    Saudi Arabia 
    Seychelles 
    Singapore 
    Slovakia 
    Slovenia 
    Spain 
    Svalbard and Jan Mayen 
    Sweden 
    Switzerland 
    Taiwan 
    Turkey 
    United Arab Emirates 
    United Kingdom 
    United States 
    United States Minor Outlying Islands 
    United States Miscellaneous Pacific Islands 
    Virgin Islands (British) 
    Virgin Islands (US) 
    Wallis and Futuna 

Don’t see your country? The SCA is a US-based 501(c)6 non-profit and held to US sanctions. This list will be updated as sanctions adjust.

Understanding SCA Course Fees

Each learner enrolled in a SCA Education course pays SCA an enrollment fee, and for each learner enrolled, the trainer pays SCA a trainer service fee.

Both fees are based on where the learner resides (which is the learner’s billing country, as recorded in SCA’s system)

  • To find the correct fee that a learner and trainer pay, first look up the learner’s country in the pricing group listings above. Then refer to the group pricing tables below for the applicable fee.

  • Trainers may choose to pay the enrollment fee on behalf of their students.

  • Invoices are generated following the same process used for other SCA education courses.

  • Course tuition is freely set by trainers and may vary by market.

SCA Course Fee Tables

Both course fees paid to SCA are per learner enrolled in the course. These are the only course fees paid to SCA.

Understanding AST License Fees

An AST License authorizes a trainer to teach SCA curriculum. Descriptions of available licenses are below.

To determine your license fee (renewal fees are the same price)

  • Locate your pricing group based upon your country of residence. See pricing groups listed above.

  • Select the type of license you would like to purchase.

    • Individual or Enterprise or Global Individual or Global Enterprise; 1 or 3 year term.

    • Individual licenses allow you to teach in all countries within your group.  This is the AST’s teaching territory.

    • Global Individual licenses allow to expand your teaching territory to the world.

    • Enterprise licenses are for companies only.

The AST Individual and Enterprise (formerly Flex) License allows trainers to teach any module or program they are eligible to teach without paying an additional fee.

  • Under the Standard 3-year license (no longer available), if a trainer was eligible to teach a certain module/program, they would need to pay an additional fee to do so. If trainers don’t upgrade their license before the renewal date, the license will automatically transition to the new All-Inclusive License at the next renewal. However, note that after November 30, 2025, module licenses cannot be purchased separately or renewed off-cycle under the old system.  

For more information about the Enterprise License, please contact education@sca.coffee.

AST License Fee Tables

The License for an Individual

An AST Individual License is held by an individual or independent consultant who meets the requirements to teach the relevant modules. Holders for this license can teach in all countries within their designated country group. 

The License for a Company

Available to any SCA member companies, the AST Enterprise (formerly Flex) License authorizes any qualified trainer to teach on behalf of the company within their designated country group. The company may designate an administrator to oversee course management.

For Trainers Who Want to Teach Anywhere

A Global Individual or Enterprise License allows the trainer to teach anywhere in the world.

LEARN HOW TO BECOME A TRAINER

Find Available Courses

Know which certificate program and level you want to take? Use our Course Finder to browse upcoming courses in your region.

VIEW COURSE CALENDAR