After students expressed frustration with proposed changes, the Federal Government last week postponed some.

MSA president Julian Campbell said delaying the changes was welcome news for students on a gap year, but postponing all the changes was not the answer.

"Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd have missed the elephant in the room for the second time, which is that there is not enough funding for youth allowance," Mr Campbell said.

"Ms Gillard's responsibility to the Australian taxpayer is to ensure that every government dollar is spent where it's needed.

"The lesson being made abundantly clear is that students need greater levels of support than either the old system or the new delayed system deliver."

Last Thursday, Chisholm federal MP Anna Burke said students who were taking a gap year and had to move to attend university next year would be entitled to claim the independent youth allowance under the existing system until June 30, 2010.

Ms Burke said the changes had been delayed because some students who had chosen to take a gap year in 2009 would have been disadvantaged during the transition.

Under the previous arrangement, students had to earn $19,000 within 18 months to qualify.

In May, the Government announced changes which, from next January, would have required students to work 30 hours a week for 18 months to quality for the allowance.

Most tertiary institutions allow courses to be deferred for only one year, and students say they will still struggle to work 30 hours a week for 18 months.