LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Simmons College in Louisville has received a $1.3 million grant from the Humana Foundation to develop an online degree program.

What You Need To Know

  • Simmons College receives major grant from Humana Foundation

  • Money will go toward online degree program, more

  • Simmons is Kentucky's oldest HBCU

“I think that the times in which we are living, people are really now noticing the need for equity. It’s glaring now,” Dr. Frank Smith, Jr. told Spectrum News 1. 

Smith is the Executive Vice President at Simmons, Kentucky's oldest Historically Black College/University (HBCU).

“This is a very, very transformative gift for Simmons that we believe will help in the sustainability of Simmons given the new era of COVID,” Smith added.

The money will allow Simmons to hire the staff needed to build and coordinate an online degree program, train existing faculty members, and improve student access to computers and WiFi. Smith adds the future online program is a step toward educational equity for students seeking to attend an HBCU.

“We’re finally getting to some days where donors are really recognizing, they are not seeing this as charity but this is a worthy investment,” Smith said.

CEO of the Humana Foundation Walter Woods said in a statement, “We are proud to help put Simmons College on a path that helps assure its continued service to the Louisville community and beyond."