AIU Online Becomes First U.S University To Offer E-Signatures For All Students Documents

August 4, 2003

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Program enables students to safely sign all legal documents electronically

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL – August 4, 2003 –Breaking new ground in higher learning technology, AIU Online today became the first U.S. University or college to offer secure electronic signature capabilities on all legal documents required for a student to apply and enroll in an online degree program. AIU Online gained approval to implement an expanded secured Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) system in place of ink signatures from its state authorizing agencies, the Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission of the State of Georgia and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

“AIU Online’s e-signature program is an exciting, progressive step for higher learning technology. Our online students will enjoy the ease and convenience of a paperless signature process on all documents, and they can be assured of secure transactions. In support of our superior student-friendly technology, the new e-signature system ensures student identity is verified and the PIN is properly authenticated and protected,” said Nick Fluge, president of Career Education Corporation’s (Nasdaq: CECO) Online Education Group and chief operating officer of AIU Online.

Last year, AIU Online pioneered technology in the field of higher education as the first U.S. University to provide e-signatures for Financial Aid related documents. Today, AIU Online’s expanded e-signature integration for all documents is required through the University’s dynamic, interactive application process and learning experience. Replacing traditional pen-andink signatures, this PIN system enables students to quickly and confidentially electronically sign enrollment and other required forms in addition to the Financial Aid applications.

“The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), signed into law in 2000, validated a PIN as a legally binding signature and allows businesses and individuals to sign everything from contracts to mortgages online,” said Fluge. “Today, empowered by this law, AIU Online continues to lead the advancement of distance learning with a secure e-signature program that makes document approval much easier for our students.”

Prior to the federal ESIGN Act, the Georgia Electronic Records and Signatures Act of 1997, and the Illinois Electronic Commerce Security Act, signed into law in 1998, allowed for electronic signatures to be legally binding to facilitate and promote electronic commerce in those states.

AIU Online offers degrees in Business Administration, Information Technology, Education, Healthcare Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing and Visual Communication. According to Fluge, the new e-signature program maintains the University’s commitment to student-oriented, quality education and demonstrates AIU Online’s forward thinking.

For more information on the new e-signature program at AIU Online, visit www.aiuonline.edu or contact Michelle Harris, AIU Online Public Information Officer, at mediarelations@aiuonline.edu.

American InterContinental University is a wholly owned subsidiary of Career Education Corporation (Nasdaq: CECO), one of the largest providers of for-profit, postsecondary education. CEC operates 74 campuses in the U.S., Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates and had approximately 63,000 students as of July 31, 2003. AIU Online is the web-based virtual campus of American InterContinental University, an international university with residential campuses located in Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; London, England; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. American InterContinental University has been educating students for over 30 years and is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.