Leading Dunfermline councillors have unanimously backed calls for Fife College to move into the town centre.
They are hoping to persuade the college to build its new campus in the heart of the town.
The college, which has a campus at Halbeath, is expected to announce its plans for west Fife within weeks.
City of Dunfermline committee chairwoman Helen Law was able to take councillors’ support to a meeting with education secretary Angela Constance.
Ms Constance was shown the campaign had cross-party support in the meeting with Mrs Law, MSP Cara Hilton and MP Douglas Chapman.
Supporting the Town Centre First principle, Mrs Law said: “This would breathe new life into the town, creating a much-needed boost for the local shops, bars and cafes.
“This is our one chance to kick-start the regeneration of the town centre for the benefit of all users.”
As well as helping the struggling town centre, it would also offer students greater access to further education, as public transport routes were better.
“It would give students more of a choice of travel options,” Mrs Law said.
“It would create a greater mix of town centre uses and users and it would encourage more business to move back into the town centre.
Lodging the motion, Mrs Law said with regard to publicly-funded works, it was understood that all relevant public bodies, including the Scottish Funding Council, are now signed up to Town Centre First.
Mrs Law will now write to the chairman and principal of Fife College board seeking formal discussions around the proposed location for the new campus to serve west Fife.
Meanwhile, the committee asked officers to identify potential sites in and around the town centre.
One bone of contention was part of the motion, seconded by Councillor Bob Young, to allow the area services manager to seek funding from council budgets to commission artists’ impressions and “explore options to accommodate the new college facility in or around Dunfermline town centre”.
SNP councillor Fay Sinclair was pleased to back the motion, but was uncomfortable, when the council budget was stretched and no figures were being provided, to condone what could effectively be a “blank cheque” to help with the plans.
It was agreed that the officer would consult with the committee on such financial issues.
Meanwhile, Ms Hilton said the day’s events showed the momentum was swinging behind the campaign to relocate the campus in the town centre.
She said with such strong support it was time for the college to grab “this once in a generation chance” to regenerate the town centre.