Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jul 30, 2020
Responsible Borrowing Act of 2020
This bill authorizes institutions of higher education (IHEs) to prorate or limit the amount of a Federal Direct Loan that an enrolled student may borrow for an academic year.
The bill specifies the factors that an IHE may use to limit these loans. These factors include the average starting salary for typical occupations pursued by graduates of the program, the enrollment status of the student (i.e., full- or part-time enrollment), the credential level of the program (e.g., degree or certificate), and the year of the program for which the student is seeking the loan.
Upon request of a student whose loan has been prorated or limited, an IHE may increase the amount of the loan within otherwise applicable limits if the student demonstrates special circumstances or exceptional need.
Source last updated: Jul 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Explore the bill from different angles
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Neutral evidence review
Objective
Analyze H.R.7872 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact
Progressive lens
Examine H.R.7872 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope
Conservative lens
Examine H.R.7872 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power
Liberty lens
Examine H.R.7872 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.