When a random student loan borrower jokes about being poor on Twitter, it is hardly news, but the opposite can be said for when a student loan lender jokes about its "poor" borrowers.
According to Inside Higher Ed, the U.S. Education Department (ED) issued an apology for a tweet from FAFSA's official Twitter account that some people found offensive. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) posted a photo with the caption "Help me, I'm poor" with a message stating, "if this is you, then you better fill out your FAFSA."
The photo was a screenshot from the film "Bridesmaids" and depicted a scene in which Kristen Wiig, the movie's writer, director and star, delivers one of the film's most quotable lines. The movie line has turned into a popular Internet meme, but it turns out that no one appreciated the ED's joke.
"We apologize for this insensitive Twitter post, which flies in the face of our mission of opening doors of opportunity for every student," Dorie Nolt, an ED spokeswoman, said in a statement. "It was an ill-conceived attempt at reaching students through social media. We are reviewing our process for approving social media content to ensure it reflects the high standards we expect at the U.S. Department of Education."
Before issuing their formal apology, FAFSA apologized in a follow-up tweet hours later.
"We apologize for the insensitivity of our previous tweet. Our goal is to make college a reality for all. We're very sorry," FAFSA wrote.
Naturally several Twitter users let their displeasure known, replying directly to FAFSA's account.
FAFSA has since deleted the tweet, but various Twitter users and publications took a screenshot of the message.
Ironically enough, FAFSA's insensitive tweet and apology came alongside the release of a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank in New York indicating a bachelor's degree is still worth the investment despite a tough job market and rising student loan debt.