(WHTM) — On Tuesday, The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced the launch of a new program to support Pennsylvania postsecondary students.

The program is called PA MASLOW: A Hierarchy of Collegiate Basic Needs. It is a cross-agency partnership that expands upon the mission of the department to ensure every student has access to education. It is also supplemented with support and resources to create great learning environments.

“Through the PA MASLOW framework, institutions can learn from one another as they identify ways to meet the basic pillars of Collegiate Need. And, at the state level, PDE is committed to eliminating silos among our sister agencies, working collaboratively to break down systemic barriers and cycles of poverty, and provide pathways for today’s modern students,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “Together we can provide the tools, resources, and support students need to ensure that they can reach infinite possibilities of success.”

PA MASLOW is a guide to supporting postsecondary students, translated from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs which includes physiological, safety and security, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs.

The department believes that addressing these basic needs in a more individualized way can ensure that learners have everything they need to be successful and complete their credentials. The initiative will engage postsecondary installations in several pillars of work, some of which include digital equity, housing and transportation, mental health, and others.

“None of us can be at our best if we don’t have safe housing, sufficient food, and support for our physical and mental health, and we can’t expect students to be successful in college without these, either,” said Dr. Calley Stevens Taylor, vice president for student success and engagement and dean of students at Cedar Crest College. “For college students, transportation, textbooks, access to support services, and educational technology are also fundamental basic needs, and I believe that we have an obligation to address these needs, on and across our campuses, in partnership, and in our communities.”