Michigan families are facing a college affordability crisis caused by a “perfect storm” of falling wages and state disinvestment in higher education, according to a new report released Friday.

That affordability crisis is hitting hardest among Michigan’s rural and low-income families, according to the report, by the New York-based Century Foundation, which describes itself as a progressive, nonpartisan think tank.

The report comes while Michigan’s GOP-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are tussling over the 2019-20 budget, which includes funding for higher education. Whitmer has proposed a 3 percent overall increase for the state’s public universities and community colleges, to slightly more than $1.7 billion. The Senate version of the budget offers universities a 1 percent increase; the House version, 0.4 percent.

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The Whitmer administration pounced on the report as further proof that higher education funding needs to be increased.

“Today’s report underscores the fact that decades of disinvestment in higher education have pushed our state further behind,” said Tiffany Brown, spokeswoman for the governor. “We must work together to build affordable pathways to success for every student, including those coming out of high school as well as adult learners returning to the classroom.”

The Legislature and the governor need to reach an agreement on the budget by Sept. 30.

Michigan leaders have set a goal of 60 percent of working-age adults with a post high school credential or degree by 2030 to meet the expected demand for a more highly educated workforce. Currently, 44 percent have a post-high school certificate or degree.

That goal isn’t likely to be met without increasing the rate of college enrollment and completion among high school graduates. That won’t happen if college continues to be unaffordable for a large segment of Michigan families, said Jen Mishory, senior fellow at The Century Foundation and co-author of the report.