With a growth rate of only 0.1 percent in the last quarter, it is quite reasonable to question whether there has been a real economic recovery during Obama’s term in office.

It looks like the recovery isn’t the only thing that has been sputtering — so has the funding for state colleges.

Forty-eight states are spending less on colleges and universities than before the recession, as recent funding increases haven’t made up for years of cuts that pushed tuition higher, according to a report.

Average state spending per student, adjusted for inflation, dropped by $2,026, or 23 percent, since 2008, with funding down in every state except Alaska and North Dakota, according to a report today by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Per-student spending in Arizona, Louisiana, and South Carolina was down by more than 40 percent.

“State cuts to higher education since the start of the recession have been both severe, and they’ve been widespread,” said Michael Mitchell, an analyst with the Washington-based center, which advocates against cuts to public programs that help lower-income Americans. “In many states, the cuts have been extraordinarily deep.”

The figures show the lasting impact of the 18-month recession that ended in 2009, even after rebounding tax collections have helped states increase higher education spending.

Colleges have been passing more costs to students. Annual tuition at four-year public colleges has risen by $1,936, or 28 percent, since the 2007-2008 academic year, adjusted for inflation, according to the report. Arizona posted the biggest jump, of 80 percent, while tuition in five other states — Florida, Georgia, California, Hawaii and Washington — climbed by more than 60 percent.