License Renewal Program

What is U.S. Soccer’s Continuous Professional Development Program (CPD)?
A program created by U.S. Soccer to provide new educational opportunities outside of our formal and supplemental pathway that engages learners in new and unique ways. Connected to the Professional Development Program is the license renewal process of acquiring Continuous Education Units (CEUs). 

Why is CPD important? 
Through CPD individuals maintain and develop their own knowledge and skills related to their professional lives. U.S. Soccer wants every learner to have access to education that helps them reach their individual potential.  We believe in lifelong learning and will encourage and empower lifelong learners by providing opportunities for ongoing educational and professional development.

What are Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?
CEUs are credits awarded for meeting the requirements of a CPD opportunity. Not all CPD opportunities award CEUs for completion. 

When does the CPD Program launch?
The program will launch in 2023.

When does the License Renewal Process take effect? 
In 2023, all U.S. Soccer C license to Pro licenses will be active for three (3) calendar years. To maintain active status, coaches must complete the minimum number of CEUs to renew the license for a new cycle of three (3) calendar years.

What licenses require CEUs to renew an active status? 
• U.S. Soccer Pro License
• U.S. Soccer A License (A Senior, A Youth, or A License)
• U.S. Soccer B License
• U.S. Soccer C License
 
What is the difference between a license and a diploma?
A diploma is obtained after successfully completing a U.S. Soccer course and maintained for life and is downloadable from the Learning Center (LC).
• A license is obtained after successfully completing a U.S. Soccer course and is active for three (3) years
• A license needs to be renewed every three (3) years and to renew, a certain number of CEUs must be acquired within the 3-year period (before the expiration date)
• A license cannot be downloaded but only verified on the user profile and on the public-facing Learning Center directory

What are the Concacaf Coaching Convention requirements regarding CPD? 
Concacaf Convention Members must organize continuous professional development programs with the intent of providing opportunities for coaches to remain current with the trends of the game as well as the methods of coaching the game.

How can I register CEUs acquired through a CPD opportunity?
CEUs acquired through the U.S. Soccer Learning Center will be automatically added to the individual CEU bank in the LC. Every licensed Coach needs to have a Learning Center account in order to automatically add CEUs to their bank to renew their license. CEUs obtained through U.S. Soccer-approved Members will be passed along by the Member to U.S. Soccer. Any acquired CEU will be added to the user's CEU bank in the Learning Center. Each approved member will be encouraged to organize the educational program through the LC in order to minimize administrative tasks. Repeating the same CEU opportunity multiple times, within the same cycle, will not issue additional credits. Only the initial registration and completion of the opportunity will reward CEUs.

What if I do not have an account on the Learning Center?
Coaches must create an account on the LC to engage in CPD opportunities and receive CEUs for completion. If you are unable to enroll in an opportunity, please contact U.S. Soccer at [email protected] to have the previously acquired license added to the profile so that you can register and earn CEUs for the purpose of renewing their license.  The renewal cycle will begin on May 1, 2023, for all license issues prior to April 30, 2023. The 3- year cycle will conclude on May 31, 2026, and if the coach does not complete the necessary CEUs to renew the license, it will be marked as expired. A coach that does not create an account on the Learning Center will still be expected to complete the necessary CEUs to renew prior to the three-year renewal period ending in April of 2026.

Where can I find how many CEUs I must obtain to renew my licenses?
Coaches can find their CEU balance by navigating to their profile on the Learning Center website and selecting, “CEU Balance”. This can also be accessed through the Continuous Professional Development section of the Learning Center under ‘Available Courses’.

What will happen if, within the 3-year renewal period, I attend and complete a coaching course in the U.S. Soccer formal pathway?
 During this three (3) year period, Coaches are required to earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) to have their current license renewed and extended for an additional three (3) year period. Coaches who have multiple U.S. Soccer coach licenses will need to renew the highest license. If a coach earns a higher-level U.S. Soccer license than the license currently held, a new active (3) year period will be applied to the newly achieved license. If the license is not achieved, the coach must complete the CEU required to renew their currently achieved license. All previously achieved course levels will revert to diplomas and the most recently achieved license will be displayed as active. A diploma will still be available to download and print. The United States Soccer Federation is the organization approved by FIFA and CONCACAF for the renewal of Coaching licenses in the US.

What kind of CPD opportunities will there be?
CPD opportunities will include virtual, blended, and in-person education opportunities. Across the Sporting Department at U.S. Soccer, many internal and external experts will contribute to developing different learning opportunities including Coaching, Referees, Mental Health, Sports Science, Talent Identification, SafeSport, Analytics, and many others to come.

To provide coaches with on-demand learning, the LC website will be accessible at anytime and anywhere. We plan to release new and exciting learning opportunities organized across these specific areas each year starting with a limited menu of options in 2023 and increasing these opportunities year after year.

The goal is to create an entire ecosystem of CPD opportunities through research and innovation that will develop knowledge and competencies to benefit coaches, educators, educator developers, players, club leaders, parents, and our entire soccer community.

If I do not maintain an active license, what are the consequences?
If a coach does not renew their license in the three (3) year cycle assigned to the awarded license, the license will have an inactive status in the LC and the coach will be unable to apply for or take the next formal coaching pathway course until they have completed all necessary CEU requirements. The coach will always have access to download their U.S. Soccer diploma from their profile.

How do I find out when my license is valid when it expires and what license(s) I hold? 
A coach’s personal details and education records are held on the U.S. Soccer LC website. This can be found by logging into the LC profile at learning.ussoccer.com and ensuring that all personal records and information are accurate and up to date. Whilst we want to assist and support in every way we can, it is ultimately each coach’s responsibility to keep their qualification(s) current and valid and personal records up to date.

My 3-year renewal period has lapsed, and I did not attend or complete any Continuous Professional Development opportunities that awarded CEU’s to renew my license(s). What are my options?
Coaches are provided with a 3-year time cycle to renew their licenses. If the license is not renewed, the coach CEU bank will be reduced to zero (0). Your license will be marked inactive, and you will be unable to participate in formal pathway courses or apply for formal pathway courses. The coach will have three (3) years to acquire the necessary CEUs to re-activate your license. The license will stay in an inactive state until it has been renewed. You can review your license expiration dates at any time on the Learning Center.

What if I am enrolled in a formal pathway course when my CEU 3-year cycle ends?
If you already enrolled in an active formal education course, your current license would maintain the appropriate status until the course has been completed and a course result status applied. If the course is passed and a new license is awarded, your new license status will be reflected appropriately with a new 3-year cycle. If you do not pass the course, your current license will be marked as expired, and you will be required to renew it.

If I do not maintain an active license, what are the consequences?
If a coach does not renew their license in the three (3) year cycle assigned to the awarded license, the license will have an inactive status in the LC and the coach will be unable to apply for or take the next formal coaching pathway course until they have completed all necessary CEU requirements. The coach will always have access to download their U.S. Soccer diploma from their profile. 

Will others be able to see if my license is active or not active?
Yes, all license statuses will be visible on the public-facing user directory of the LC. https://learning.ussoccer.com/directory

What are the benefits of an active license?
• Demonstrates maintaining and developing competencies
• The license will have an active status in the LC that can be verified
• Eligible to apply for a U.S. Soccer educational course in the formal or educator pathway

What if I obtain more than the required number of CEUs within a three (3) year period?

CEUs more than the minimum amount may not be rolled over into the next three-year cycle, as these must occur in the license's respective period of validity. Coaches can participate in as many Continuous Professional Development opportunities as they wish to do so, but once the required number of CEUs is achieved you cannot earn any additional until the next active cycle begins.

What will happen if, within the 3-year renewal period, I attend and complete a coaching course in the U.S. Soccer formal pathway?
During this three (3) year period, Coaches are required to earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) to have their current license renewed and extended for an additional three (3) year period. Coaches who have multiple U.S. Soccer coach licenses will need to renew the highest license. If a coach earns a higher-level U.S. Soccer license than the license currently held, a new active (3) year period will be applied to the newly achieved license. If the license is not achieved, the coach must complete the CEU required to renew their currently achieved license. All previously achieved course levels will revert to diplomas and the most recently achieved license will be displayed as active. A diploma will still be available to download and print. The United States Soccer Federation is the organization approved by FIFA and CONCACAF for the renewal of Coaching licenses in the US.

Is it possible to acquire CEUs outside of U.S. Soccer? What kind of evidence do I need to provide to prove I have done CPD elsewhere?
Education providers that are listed as U.S. Soccer members can apply for a CEU accreditation for their educational program. The approved member is responsible to communicate the CEUs connected to the U.S. Soccer license renewal program to their participants. The approved member is also responsible for submitting the necessary information to U.S. Soccer after the educational program has finished for U.S. Soccer to add CEUs to the individual participants' CEU bank in the Learning Center. Each participating member will be encouraged to organize the educational program through the LC in order to minimize administrative tasks.

License	CEU Per 3-Year Cycle
C	15
B	20
A	25
PRO	30

How many hours does it take to earn a CEU?

No. of CEU	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Education Hours	1-1.5	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-9	10-11	12-13	14+