SPONSORED CONTENT -- (StatePoint) With students back in the classroom, providing the resources they need to be successful is top of mind for parents and educators. Yet for the millions of students limited by lack of internet access, their education hangs in the balance.

Today, one in five U.S. households lack this essential resource, highlighting equity disparities for students across the country.

T‑Mobile’s Project 10Million, a $10.7 billion nationwide initiative aimed at helping to close the digital divide in education, is offering free internet connectivity and mobile hotspots to up to 10 million eligible K-12 student households.

Coral Almazan knows from her own high school experience the power and importance of having internet access. Almazan and her family signed up for Project 10Million during her sophomore year. She graduated from high school in June with honors and an Associates of Arts degree in cybersecurity, thanks to having internet connectivity that allowed her to also tackle college courses through a local running start program.

She credits her success, and the fact she’s now starting a bachelor’s program this fall, to her hard work and dedication and to Project 10Million.

“Having me, my parents and my three siblings all doing our work at the same time, watching videos and online lessons, doing Zoom calls — our internet slowed down to the point where I couldn’t really use it for school,” says Almazan. “Once I got the T-Mobile hotspot and service, I didn’t struggle as much, and it made doing my classwork so much easier. I don’t think I could have been able to get through high school without the hotspot.”

Today, internet connectivity is a basic need for remote and hybrid learning, allowing students to effectively complete homework assignments, research, collaborate with peers and communicate with teachers. Fortunately, T-Mobile’s Project 10Million is an ongoing initiative that is offering hotspots and internet connectivity to eligible students.

Almazan encourages families struggling with internet connectivity to look into Project 10Million. Students and parents can check eligibility and sign up for the program today by visiting www.t-mobile.com/p10m.

According to advocates and educators, having internet access and working to close the digital divide not only opens doors, but also helps create a level playing field for all students.