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Education and Qualifications

Educational institutions issue evidence that may remain valuable for decades. Degrees, certificates, enrolment records, course completion, professional development, and academic standing are frequently exchanged as paper documents, PDF files, scans, or manual database confirmations.

UbID provides a model in which an authorized educational institution can issue a portable credential, the learner controls its custody and presentation, and an employer or another institution can verify provenance and status under policy.

The problem​

Traditional qualification verification often creates friction for every participant:

  • learners repeatedly submit the same documents;
  • employers must interpret unfamiliar formats and contact issuers manually;
  • institutions maintain verification desks or bespoke portals;
  • document images can be altered or separated from their original source;
  • full transcripts may be disclosed when only one qualification is relevant;
  • historic records may be difficult to access after systems or institutions change.

A verifiable credential does not remove the educational institution from the trust model. It gives the institution a durable way to express an approved claim and gives the recipient a consistent way to validate it.

Participants​

  • Educational issuer — a university, college, training provider, school, certification authority, or other authorized body.
  • Learner or graduate — the holder of the credential.
  • Verifier — an employer, another educational institution, professional body, scholarship administrator, or public service.
  • Governance authority — the institution or ecosystem that defines issuer trust, credential meaning, and acceptance rules.

Credential examples​

An education profile may represent:

  • degree or diploma completion;
  • current enrolment;
  • course or module completion;
  • professional-development credit;
  • scholarship or eligibility status;
  • academic award;
  • institution-issued student or alumni affiliation;
  • accreditation-related evidence.

A credential should contain only the claims required for its defined purpose. A proof of degree completion does not need to expose a complete transcript unless the verifier has a legitimate and proportionate reason to request it.

Example trust flow​

  1. The institution verifies the relevant academic record and the authority to issue.
  2. An approved credential type defines the meaning and permitted claims.
  3. The issuer creates a signed credential and delivers it to the learner's wallet.
  4. An employer requests evidence for a specific role or process.
  5. The learner reviews and authorizes the presentation.
  6. The verifier checks issuer trust, credential integrity, validity, status, holder relationship, and the disclosed claims.
  7. The employer makes its own hiring or eligibility decision.

The final employment or admission decision remains outside the credential. A credential proves what the issuer attested; it does not require a verifier to accept the applicant.

Privacy and minimisation​

Education records can reveal more than a verifier needs. Good credential design can reduce unnecessary exposure by supporting:

  • proof of a qualification without unrelated academic history;
  • proof of active enrolment without a full student record;
  • proof that a requirement was met without publishing marks;
  • disclosure of the issuing institution and award while omitting internal identifiers;
  • verifier-specific presentations instead of reusable document copies.

Lifecycle and correction​

Educational credentials may require:

  • correction of names or record errors;
  • replacement after an institution changes its identity or signing authority;
  • revocation where a credential was issued incorrectly or fraudulently;
  • renewal for time-limited training or continuing education;
  • status updates for current enrolment or accreditation.

Corrections should create a new signed artifact and a traceable lifecycle event rather than silently modifying an issued credential.

Institutional responsibilities​

The educational issuer remains responsible for:

  • the accuracy and meaning of academic claims;
  • authorization of staff and systems that issue credentials;
  • record retention and correction procedures;
  • credential status and reissuance rules;
  • student privacy and lawful disclosure;
  • accessibility and alternatives for people who cannot use a digital wallet;
  • recognition, accreditation, and sector-specific requirements.

UbID product composition​

  • UbID Proof can support source-document or identity assurance.
  • UbID Credential Cloud issues and manages the educational credential.
  • UbID Wallet gives the learner custody and presentation control.
  • UbID Connect supports standards-based exchange.
  • UbID Trust API supports institutional integration.
  • UbID Pulse provides operational evidence and service posture.

Public documentation boundary​

Public documentation explains the trust model and common educational flows. Student records, institution-specific schemas, grading rules, issuer credentials, integration endpoints, signing configuration, and customer acceptance policy belong in controlled documentation.

See also Verifiable Credentials, Selective Disclosure, and UbID Credential Cloud.