WASHINGTON (AP) _ Howard University says enrollment is on the rise following a decline last year of 5 percent

The university is reporting the second-largest freshman class in 15 years. It says total enrollment is up 3 percent from last fall and now stands at more than 10,330.

The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/1bdRgva) says Howard President Sidney A. Ribeau announced the increased enrollment while speaking at a campus convocation on Friday. He said “numbers need to speak for themselves” and that the numbers show that there’s still “demand for the Howard product.”

The historically black university in northwest Washington has been dealing with financial troubles. Moody’s Investors Service this week downgraded the school’s rating, citing revenue declines and automatic federal budget cuts from Congress