CIVIC leaders from Herefordshire are among those who have welcomed the granting of full university status to University College Worcester.
Neil Pringle, chief executive of Herefordshire Council, said the move was excellent news for the county where colleges already worked closely with UCW.
"It will give a boost to Herefordshire's young students by allowing them to live at home in the county while gaining a university education, while also attracting new students to the two counties," said Neil Pringle.
The development has been hailed as good news for health services by David Rose, chief executive of the Hereford NHS Trust.
"We've been working in partnership with UCW for many years, during which time we have been educating and training first class nurses and midwives in Herefordshire."
Ian Peak, the principal of Herefordshire College of Technology, and Marcelle Lloyd-Hayes, the Mayor of Hereford, also welcomed the move.
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