Politicians across the county are calling for a return of the student maintenance grant which could help ease the burden of increasing university costs.

MP for Carlisle John Stevenson and Barrow MP John Woodcock are among the names calling for a return of maintenance grants.

The grants helped to provide students from families on low incomes a cash sum towards living costs.

On Tuesday, the government launched a review into the issue - which will focus on the following four areas:

*Ensuring education is accessible for all;

*The funding system;

*Encouraging choice and competition;

*and Providing the skills the country needs.

Theresa May launched the review amid increasing criticism over the current 6.1 per cent interest rate on loans and the burden of student debt.

In 2015, the then Chancellor George Osborne sparked criticism for his decision to scrap maintenance grants for lower income students.

It is this change, says Cumbria County Council's cabinet member for schools and learning Sue Sanderson, that has hit students hardest.

The county councillor for South Lakeland said: "I think, looking at what is happening at the moment, the maintenance grant that was taken away should be put back.

"Because that makes a difference.

"The issue is the poorer students pay the most and end up with bigger loans, and this comes down to the maintenance grant being withdrawn.

"The best thing for me would be to bring the maintenance grants back."

Conservative Mr Stevenson also agrees it should be reinstated but insists that scrapping tuition fees is not an option.

"I don't think we can scrap tuition fees because the fees are so large," he explained.

"We have to be fair to those that don't go to university, but still have to pay their taxes.

"We should look at the level of interest rates and the idea of bringing back maintenance grants for disadvantaged students - to reduce the debt in the first place.

"I think it will be reform, rather than fundamental change."

Mr Woodcock, a Labour MP, has consistently voted against increasing tuition fees.

He said: "Theresa May has finally admitted that her government got it wrong. They trebled tuition fees, abolished maintenance grants and left students graduating with debts of up to £57,000.

"Young people need certainty about their future. This must include a return to maintenance grants which provided so many disadvantaged students with the opportunity to get a tertiary education."

A spokesman for the University of Cumbria said: “We welcome the opportunity to help improve the current student funding system in England.

"While the current system is not perfect, it has provided sustainable funding for universities and the skilled graduates our economy needs. It has also seen record numbers of young students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering university."

She continued: “The University of Cumbria was created a decade ago with the aim of providing access to affordable, higher education for a wide cross-section of the community to widen participation.

"Our ambition is to enable more young people to gain the skills needed to fill the jobs created within the region’s economy. This is a cornerstone of our strategic plan.

“We hope the review considers all the evidence and looks at ways of improving the understanding of the current system including a recognition the vital role universities like Cumbria play in providing professional and technical education; for example our education and health courses offer enviable employment prospects that change lives while our arts and sports faculties help enhance life across Cumbria, the region and the UK.

“We look forward to this review and a debate that allows the development of a world-renowned quality education system that will produce the skilled graduates our economy and society needs with stable and sustainable funding.”

The results of the review are expected in early 2019.

How did tuition fees end up costing £9,000?

In 2012, the Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition passed on many of the costs associated with higher education to universities.

To cover the costs, they gave universities the power to increase fees from £3,290 to £6,000 a year - or £9,000 a year if they could promise places to poorer students.

The vast majority of courses in England now charge the maximum £9,250 in fees.

Universities also increased interest rates on the loans to match with inflation, plus 3 per cent.

When living costs are taken into consideration, the Institute for Fiscal Studies now estimates that the average student leaves university with over £50,000 of debt.