Alabama colleges are luring more Illinois high school seniors away from in-state universities partly through financial perks.

The Chicago Tribune reports that more than 1,600 Illinois students enrolled at the University of Alabama last fall, up from about 150 students a decade ago.

Students cite financial incentives as one of the main reasons for flocking to Alabama. The university awarded more than 200 full-tuition scholarships to freshmen from Illinois last year.

Illinois’ public universities have increased tuition and fees over the past several years to make up for lost state revenue. State data say costs have increased by up to 56 percent at some public universities since 2008.

Almost 46 percent of Illinois high school graduates left the state in 2016, compared to almost 30 percent in 2002.

(Associated Press, copyright 2018)