(Edwardsville)--Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has reported its largest enrollment ever. The university says over fourteen thousand students are enrolled in classes this fall, a one percent increase from last year. The university says the freshman class size is also a record at over two thousand students, up from nineteen hundred students last year.

This is the third year in a row of overall enrollment growth for the university, rising thirteen percent from 2007. In addition, transfers to SIUE rose eight percent, and applications to the university rose ten percent.

University officials says the enrollment may be up because the tuition did not increase this year. However, officials say financial aid requests have risen ten percent.