Dept of Ed Suing Pixar for Lost Income Due to MU

Photo by Maximilian Schonherr via Wikimedia

FAFSA registrations, the means by which students can apply for the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, are down 11% from where they were last year. The US Department of Education is placing the blame on the Northern California animation studio famous for blockbuster films such as Toy Story and The Incredibles.

The suit claims that the film Monsters University communicates a subversive message that strongly discourages young people from enrolling in premium-priced schools for the purpose of pursuing highly competitive careers. The movie does this, the suit argues, by indirectly communicating two claims: one, that sometimes hard work isn’t enough to accomplish your dreams; and two, that formal education isn’t the only way to enter certain careers.

The current total balance of student loan debt handled directly by the Department of Education is nearly half a trillion dollars, which brings in billions of dollars in interest payments every year. The agency is seeking compensation of future projected losses from this due to the expected drop in federal student aid use. According to projections, the drop in applications may result in only $95 billion in new loans for the 2014-2015 school year, compared to $106.7 billion in new loans two years ago. 

Pixar soon after released a statement that said there was absolutely no intention made on their part to communicate anything subversive. They also pointed out that the connection between the release of the film last year and the decrease in applications can only be corollary, and that it would be very difficult to prove any causal relationship between the two incidents.

A lawyer for the Department of Education disagreed: “For decades these guys have been making kid’s movies about following your dreams, and it’s been a boon for educational loans. Then, all of a sudden Pixar decides to make a movie about how chasing your dreams doesn’t always work out? And then loan applications drop? I don’t believe in coincidences. This is a clear example if a lack of social responsibility on the part of these filmmakers.”