FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Private schools across northern Indiana are bucking a post-recession trend and boosting enrollment thanks to new programs, tuition incentives and even athletics.

Trine University in Angola, Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne and Grace College in Winona Lake are reporting enrollment increases of 11 percent to 17 percent this year. But IPFW and Ivy Tech Community College are seeing declines.

The Journal Gazette reports college enrollment tends to boom during a recession, then taper off as the economy improves.

The private universities have attracted more students with a variety of new programs, including more post-graduate programs at Trine and more athletics at Indiana Tech.

New programs also have drawn students to Manchester University in North Manchester and Huntington University.