Rick Scott Signs Bill to Open Florida Polytechnic University July 1

The states 12th public university, Florida Polytechnic University, will take on life this summer over the objections of some legislators, students and officials in the Lakeland area.

Gov. Rick Scott signed HB 1994 on Friday, creating the independent school by splitting off the 14-year-old branch campus from the University of South Florida.

In a statement with the signing, Scott declared the school will be "vital to our economy in the years to come."

The school will officially take on the new name July 1, but will continue to serve students of USF as part of the Tampa-based universitys programs until they earn their degree.

With the bill being signed into law, the school will now open without accreditation from the Atlanta-based Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The split had been approved by the Florida Board of Governors last fall, but with a stipulation that the new school would remain part of Tampa-based USF until receiving accreditation. Accreditation typically takes three to five years.