Today, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Twitter account tweeted the message at left. It references a scene from Bridesmaids in which Kristen Wiig’s character gets drunk on an airplane and tries to sneak into first class.
But while both Bridesmaids and Kristen Wiig are hilarious, using them to make light of poverty and U.S. students’ overwhelming need for financial aid was hardly a good idea.
FAFSA is a part of the U.S. Department of Education and is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. According to its website:
At the office of Federal Student Aid, our 1,200 employees help make college education possible for every dedicated mind by providing more than $150 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds each year to more than 15 million students paying for college or career school. We are proud to sponsor millions of American minds pursuing their educational dreams.
After receiving criticism, FAFSA deleted the tweet and released the following statement:
We apologize for the insensitivity of our previous tweet. Our goal is to make college a reality for all. We’re very sorry.
Like all college students, we hope that FAFSA has learned its lesson.
Photo courtesy of Twitter
Simone Lieban Levine is a rising junior at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and an intern for Ms. Follow her on Twitter: @though_she_be.
