JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Florida Community College at Jacksonville, which began offering bachelor's degrees in selected majors last year, is awaiting approval from the Legislature to become a full-service state school by next fall.

FCCJ is one of several community colleges that have applied to become four-year institutions as part of an overhaul of the state's university system in 2009.

"We fully expect that a year from now we will be a state college," FCCJ President Steven Wallace said.

Savita Jones, a young mother who is already a student at FCCJ, likes the idea.

"Let's just say I want to do a bachelor's degree and I don't want to travel and I don't want to leave my son," Jones said. "I can stay here and pursue my career."

Wallace said serving students like Jones is the reason the college is looking to make the change.

FCCJ already offers bachelor's degrees in nursing, management, computer networking and fire science. If the Legislature approves the change, four-year degrees would be offered in many more fields.

Wallace said the college would continue to offer associate degrees for those who want them.

FCCJ is among the top 10 colleges in the nation in the number of graduates with associate’s degrees, according to a Community College Week analysis of U.S. Department of Education data.

If the change is approved, FCCJ would also need a new name. Simply dropping "community" from its nameplate will not work because there's already a Florida College.

Wallace said administrators are already looking at a list of names.