In a world where student debt has reached crisis levels, as students around the country owe more than $1.3 trillion in loans, the University of Mississippi has decided to do something about it to help its student-athletes.

According to a report from The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.), the university has partnered with Regions Bank to put on a class that will teach student-athletes vital financial skills in a pilot program, the first nationally, that could spread to other universities. Per data from Forbes, Mississippi sits 19th in the nation (through the class of 2013) in average student loan debt at around $27,000 per student.

From the report:

Regions contributed $500,000 to the multi-year effort, which is implemented through the university’s Vaught Society/Forward Together campaign to strengthen Ole Miss athletics.

College students notoriously struggle to make sound financial decisions, and many find themselves saddled with crushing debt from student loans and credit cards. A 2013 nationwide study by the private, nonprofit student loan guarantee agency, NSLP, found nine out of 10 first-year college students scored a “C” or below on their knowledge of financial literacy.

Regions already has rolled out financial literacy programs in grade schools and high schools nationally, but the bank is partnering with Ole Miss to customize those lessons for student-athletes, said Keith Carter, the university’s senior associate athletics director for development and executive director of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.

Approximately 35 Ole Miss student-athletes will participate in the first class, starting on April 19, and another 125 are expected to enroll in a summer course. The class aims to teach student-athletes “the tools needed to save money, build a positive credit history and manage their finances.”

School officials hope that the program, which is only at Ole Miss for the time being, will quickly spread to other SEC schools.