Systems and methods for generating and validating certified electronic credentials

An electronically implemented method for validating educational and academic credentials, the method comprising:

• storing, in a publisher validation database, a plurality of educational and academic credential records corresponding to a plurality of educational and academic credentials and associated authentication information, wherein each record is associated with an authentication information and an educational and academic credential;
• each educational and academic credential and associated authentication information is associated with at least one credentialer selected from a plurality of credentialers, and each credentialer directly provides a unique credentialer validation portal interface;
• receiving at a publisher validation interface an electronic credential validation request and proffered authentication information from a validating entity through a first credentialer's credentialer validation portal interface;
• identifying in the publisher validation database an educational and academic credential record associated with the proffered authentication information;
• generating a validation response based on the identified electronic credential record;
• and
• providing validation information based on at least a portion of the validation response to the validating entity;
• wherein the first credentialer's credentialer validation portal interface is available directly from and unique to the first credentialer.

An electronic system for validating educational and academic credentials, the system comprising:

• a publisher validation database having a plurality of electronic credential records corresponding to a plurality of educational and academic credentials and associated authentication information, each educational and academic credential issued to a recipient,
• wherein each credential record is associated with an authentication information and comprising a credential status;
• each educational and academic credential and associated authentication information is associated with at least one credentialer selected from a plurality of credentialers;
• a plurality of unique credentialer validation portal interfaces, each unique credentialer validation portal interface associated with a unique credentialer;
• wherein each unique credentialer validation portal interface is an electronic interface configured to receive an electronic credential validation request and proffered authentication information from a validating entity, and forward the electronic credential validation request and proffered authentication information to the publisher validation database;
• and
• a validation request interface configured to receive electronic credential validation requests and proffered authentication information from each of the unique credentialer validation portal interfaces, and having a computer processor configured to identify a electronic credential record in the validation database associated with a proffered authentication information, generate a validation response based on the identified electronic credential record;
• and transmit the validation response to the respective unique credentialer validation portal interface;
• wherein each unique credentialer validation portal interface is configured to provide a validation information based on at least a portion of the validation response to a validating entity.