St. Thomas Aquinas College Awarded Google Grant to Expand High-Demand Programs
– In Partnership with Rize Education –
St. Thomas Aquinas College has received a grant from Google.org through our partnership with Rize Education, supporting the Institution’s work to develop future-focused academic programs aligned with evolving student and workforce needs. The grant was awarded to select members of the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC), a national consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to lowering the cost of higher education through innovative academic models powered by Rize Education.
“As St. Thomas Aquinas launches our ‘College of the Future’ initiative, we are delighted to announce a foundational grant from Google and expansion of our partnership with industry leader Rize Education. We look forward to supplementing our in person learning environment with innovative new on-line academic programs of the future. This enhanced curriculum will enable our students to become leaders in the careers of the future,” said Ken Daly, President of St. Thomas Aquinas College.
St. Thomas Aquinas College has signed a foundational agreement with Rize Education to support the assessment and development of several new in-demand academic programs targeted to launch between now and 2030. These initiatives build upon the College’s recently introduced MBA programs in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics, while also providing full access to Rize’s extensive online course catalog. This work is grounded in the College’s commitment to mission-based, in-person education, complemented by thoughtfully integrated online offerings.
In close collaboration with faculty, the College is assessing new undergraduate offerings to expand its academic portfolio in in-demand fields. These efforts build upon existing Rize-supported undergraduate programs, including the Supply Chain Management minor, and reflect a continued commitment to academic innovation grounded in real-world relevance.
“This initiative is transformative for liberal arts institutions like St. Thomas Aquinas College” said Kevin Harrington, CEO and Co-founder of Rize Education. “It enables colleges to adapt quickly to the evolving educational and career landscape, providing students with valuable skills in growing fields while preserving the rich academic and on-campus experiences for which these schools are known.”
Student data further reinforces the importance of this work. According to Rize Education’s The Hybrid College Wins report, 91 percent of high school students want at least one online course per semester, and 81 percent of college students are confident they can succeed in online courses. Overall, 92 percent of MBA students rated online courses as good or better than other graduate courses. These findings align
with St. Thomas Aquinas College’s approach to integrating online learning as a strategic supplement to in-person education, while preserving community, mentorship, and hands-on learning engagement.
“Rize and the LCMC have developed an incredible model of innovation that prepares students for fulfilling careers, while preserving valuable components of a traditional college experience,” said Kim Roberts, a Director at Google.org.
The Google.org grant supports St. Thomas Aquinas College’s continued momentum toward an innovative, forward-thinking institution shaped by faculty leadership, strategic partnerships, and a clear commitment to preparing students for an increasingly dynamic world of work.
For more information about St. Thomas Aquinas College and its academic initiatives, visit www.stac.edu.
About St. Thomas Aquinas College
St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 76 acres in Rockland County, NY, providing education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s diverse student body of approximately 2,000 full and part-time students can choose from over 100 majors, minors, and specializations across four Schools: Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Education, and STEM. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, and by Colleges of Distinction in its New York edition for Business, Education, and Career Development. The College is also recognized as a Yellow Ribbon Program institution. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and its School of Business is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.
About Rize Education and the Lower Cost Models Consortium
Rize Education, in collaboration with the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC), partners with small and mid-sized colleges to support affordable, workforce-aligned academic innovation through shared programs, strategic planning, and scalable academic models.