JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Classes started Monday at the new Florida State College at Jacksonville.

The school, formerly known as Florida Community College at Jacksonville, now offers four-year degrees on a schedule that's more flexible than most universities.

"State colleges have traditionally been this place between junior college and the four year university," college President Dr. Denis Wright said.

The new name highlights that students can still attain a GED or associates degree, like in a traditional community college, but they now also have an option of taking their education a step further and getting a four-year bachelors degree.

"Right now the amount of four-year students are probably less than 2 or 3 percent of our total student population," Wright said.

It's a small program, and the bachelors are career driven. It's ideal for students who are already working in their chosen field and will use their degree to advance.

"Like in fire science, and they're out there as a firefighter for a number of years, but now they want to move into the management of aspect," Wright said.

The college offers bachelors in nursing, computer systems and networking, fire science education, and the most popular, supervision and management.

The college still prides itself on having greater schedule flexibility than traditional four-year schools for students like Shannon Corrado.

"I'm actually a mother of eight, four of my own and four step children," Corrado said.

At the age of 34, she decided to go back to school for a nursing degree.

"I would love to be a labor and delivery nurse," Corrado said. "Over the summer, I was put to the challenge and I saved a 6-year-olds life, and I knew then and there that this was my calling."

Corrado will be able to take advantage of the evening, on-line and weekend classes.

Florida State College at Jacksonville also remains the more affordable option. It's approximately two-thirds the price of the nearby University of North Florida.

As a sign says, the campus has grown, but not too much. Wright still wants it to be known as the people's campus, serving students with unique needs, perhaps starting their education later in life or going for their GED.