Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his wife have given $1 million to an academic scholarship program at their alma mater, the University of Mississippi.

“Abby and I were drawn to this program of helping people who might not be able to attend college otherwise,” Manning said in a statement released by the university. “To us, it was a way of truly helping a lot of people.”

The program the Mannings are helping to finance will aid students who were already getting scholarships but struggling to pay for school after Ole Miss raised tuition by 6.5 percent this year.

Manning is one of a number of NFL players who have made significant contributions to their schools over the last year. Others include Lions rookie Ndamukong Suh, who pledged $2.6 million to Nebraska, Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, who gave $2 million to Michigan, and Vikings safety Madieu Williams, who gave $2 million to Maryland.