Utah Valley State College students already had Utah Valley University T-shirts on Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after a vote by the Senate clinched the fate of the Utah County school.

A bill to transform the college into a master's degree university passed out of the Legislature with a unanimous vote Tuesday in the House and concurring vote in the Senate. The bill now awaits the governor's signature.

"It's exciting for students. For university to be on our diploma helps everyone," said senior Andrew Stone, student body president at UVSC. "We now have a diploma that reflects the education that we received."

SB70 changes UVSC into UVU on July 1, 2008, with about $8 million to back up that switch. That's $2 million less than the $10 million in ongoing funds that school leaders estimate they need to become a full-fledged university.

"We still have a $2 million shortfall, but this gives us the green light to go ahead as a university," UVSC President William Sederburg said.

Sederburg added that he originally expected the bill to take two years to get passed. Making the move now, however, helps students to get that university label on their diploma sooner, he said.

"It sets students at a disadvantage to have the word college instead of university on their degree," he said. "University is the standard throughout the country and the world."

UVU would be a Type II institution, initially offering up to four master's degrees in high-demand areas such as education and nursing. The university would continue to offer two-year degrees and an expanded array of bachelor's degrees and would be on par with other state schools such as Weber State University and Southern Utah University.

"Even with this funding, it is still the most efficient educating institution we have in Utah," said Rep. David Clark, R-Santa Clara.

Clark added UVU would continue to focus on its two-year degrees and operate as a "lean, mean, educating machine."

The move to make UVSC a university faced little opposition this session, except for a few initial concerns over whether the school would lose its unique mission as a comprehensive community college.

Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo, said that mission needs to change to keep up with the changing economic needs and educational demands in Utah County. As Brigham Young University becomes more internationally focused, Utah County's students are often left with few alternatives, he said.

"This is going to provide opportunities for young people to graduate with a university diploma from a great school that will continue to grow and is going to fulfill the needs for young people all over the state," said Stephen Clark, who called SB70 a "momentous and historic bill."