Students across Australia are due congregate on campuses to eat free noodles in an attempt to set a world record for the greatest number of people eating two-minute noodles simultaneously - all to raise awareness of student welfare issues.

At universities across Australia students will use the protest to call on the government to take action and improve income support for students - including youth allowance.

Today's Noodle Day comes after Parliament passed new legislation on 18 March 2010, changing student income support through youth allowance, Austudy and Abstudy, with the first of the reforms coming into effect from 1 April 2010.

Some of the changes include an increase in the parental income test threshold for students to receive the maximum rate of youth allowance or Abstudy, from $33,300 to $44,165. This means that more students will be entitled to youth allowance.

Also, the age of independence has been reduced from 25 to 22 years, meaning more students will be eligible for youth allowance.