Currently, about one in five students do not graduate high school on time, and many of those who do are not fully prepared for success in college or careers. However, the national high school graduation rate is increasing at an accelerated pace, and we are on track to meet the 90% graduation goal by 2020. But there is still much to do —particularly for minority, low-income and special education students.

At AT&T, we are using the power of our network to build a better tomorrow. Our signature education initiative, AT&T Aspire, drives innovation in education — through technology, social innovation and relationships — to provide students opportunities to develop the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.  By bringing evidence-based programs to scale, we can make a significant impact together. That’s why, as part of AT&T Aspire, we are launching the Aspire Connect to Success Competition request for proposal.  AT&T will award a total of up to $10 million to selected organizations that have demonstrated success in supporting and motivating traditionally underserved students to stay in school and prepare for their next step in life. We encourage you to share this opportunity with organizations in your community that help students who are at risk of dropping out. Full details of the competition are available now at AspireRFP.com, along with the Pre-Qualification Survey. The competition opened on Nov. 9 and runs through Dec. 4, 2015.