The Georgia Aviation & Technical College in Eastman this week became the first institution of higher education to utilize a new e-signature process for student loans. The electronic process, which is offered by the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation, allows a student to go to the school's Web site to apply for a loan, and complete the master promissory note with an e-signature.

  The process has the potential of moving funds immediately from the lender to the borrower and to the college, a process that previously could take days if the papers were transferred via postal service. "With more and more people applying for loans to enter higher education, we want to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible," said Ruth Vincent, chief administrative officer of GHEAC.

Aviation student Ashley Battles of Augusta uses the new student loan technology available on the Georgia Aviation & Technical College Web site as GATC Financial Aid Director Mary Jo Pilcher looks on. Also observing is Tracy Ireland, who is with the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation, which made the process available. Ashley has become a licensed pilot at GATC, and she now is working on her instrument rating.

Mary Jo Pilcher, financial aid officer for the Georgia Aviation & Technical College, said she wanted to transfer to the e-signature process because it not only helps the students but it reduces the work load in her office.

The Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation, the state's designated guarantor for the Federal Family Education Loan Program, is a division of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which administers Georgia's Hope Scholarship Program. GHEAC guarantees $240 million in loans annually and has an outstanding loan portfolio of approximately $1.6 billion. Additional information is available at www.gsfc.org.