North Dakota's state college at Bottineau is a signature away from a new name.

The North Dakota House on Tuesday voted 78-12 to endorse changing the name of Minot State University-Bottineau, a two-year college that was founded as the state's forestry school, to Dakota College at Bottineau.

The state Senate and the Board of Higher Education have already approved the change. The legislation now goes to Gov. John Hoeven.

Rep. Bob Hunskor, D-Newburg, said the school needed a "distinct and unique" name. The Bottineau college has an enrollment of about 450 students, and a $5.2 million two-year budget.

The region has several colleges with MSU abbreviations, including North Dakota's Mayville State University, Hunskor said.

Student recruiters often found themselves explaining Bottineau's name, the school's relationship to Minot State University and its status as a two-year school instead of talking about its programs, he said.

"The college needed a name that would reflect its mission, and one that would be appealing to students," Hunskor said.

School officials, students and community members have discussed the potential name change for about two years. The Board of Higher Education endorsed it in January.

North Dakota's Constitution requires the state to maintain a school of forestry at Bottineau. It has had five names since it was founded in 1906. It became Minot State University-Bottineau in 1996, when Minot State assumed administrative control from North Dakota State University.

Minot State will maintain its administrative relationship with Dakota College at Bottineau after the name change, Hunskor said.

The bill is SB2389.