As a first-year student entering college, commuting can be an added stress factor to an already overwhelming experience. It is important for students to receive support from their institution to create their own community. Without finding a community during their first year, students may feel isolated in their new academic environment and fail to fulfill their academic goals. Higher education institutions should seek to bridge the gap by providing support for students with differing housing statuses by creating targeted programs and resources to offer commuter students the same opportunities afforded to residential students. Commuter students should have their institution's support through a structured cohort model, programming of goal setting, and institutional navigation that integrates academics and social mentorship in order to go beyond surviving their first year to succeed as a higher education student. While there are challenges, additional resources provide greater opportunity to retain students. By offering better resources to commuter students, institutions can ensure all students are receiving equitable support in student engagement.