Food insecurity reflects and reinforces inequity (1), posing challenges to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to hunger by 2030. Recent research indicates that up to 50% of Australian university students experience food insecurity (2). However, most studies have been conducted at large or metropolitan universities, with little known about food security in small (< 15,000 students), regional universities. This study aims to explore food security status and factors influencing food insecurity in students at a small, northern Australian regional university. An online cross-sectional survey of university students has commenced and is open for an additional week at the time of submission (CDU HREC H2039). This abstract reports on preliminary analysis of the first 221 valid responses. The survey includes demographic details, enrolment status, six-item US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module, single-item mental health measure (3), postcode as a proxy for socio-economic status, and to measure rurality using the Modified Monash Model. Relationships between food security status and categorical variables were examined using Chi-Square tests (χ2). Correlation between food security score and ordinal variables were examined by Spearman’s Rho Correlation Coefficient (rs). Sixty-three percent (n = 125) of students reported food insecurity in this preliminary sample. International students experienced higher rates of food insecurity with 76% (n = 74) reporting low to very low food security, compared to 53% (n = 50) of domestic students (χ2 = 11.74, df = 1, p < 0.001). Accommodation type was related to food security status, with the majority of students who were renting (n = 47, 67%), living in a share house (n = 43, 75%), irregular accommodation (n = 5, 100%), or in campus accommodation (n = 5, 50%) having low or very low food security; compared to lower levels, of 44% (n = 20) and 42% (n = 5) in those living in their own home or with parents, respectively (χ2 = 16.9, df = 5, p = 0.005). Gender, employment status, rurality, socio-economic status, financial dependents, enrolment load, or level of study were not related to food security status (all p > 0.059). Students reported that worry or stress about food affected their ability to study, some of the time n = 82 (43%), or about half the time or more n = 43 (23%), this measure correlated with the food security (rs = 0.593, p < 0.001). Whilst the university offers a range of services to support students accessing food, the findings highlight a need to strengthen current initiatives, as rates of food insecurity in this regional university exceed those reported at other universities. Urgent policy and funding changes are needed to provide greater support to students enrolled at small, regional universities.