General Rules
for Eligibility
Military Service
Requirements for VA Loan Eligibility:
*NOTE: Applications involving other than honorable discharges will
usually require further development by VA. This is necessary to
determine if the service was under other than dishonorable conditions.
Wartime -
Service during:
- WWII 09/16/40 to
07/25/47
- Korean 06/27/50
to 01/31/55
- Vietnam 08/05/64
to 05/07/75
You must have at least 90 days on active duty and been discharged under
other than dishonorable conditions. If you served less than 90 days,
you may be eligible if discharged for a service connected disability.
Peacetime -
Service during periods:
- 07/26/47 to 06/26/50
- 02/01/55 to 08/04/64
- 05/08/75 to 09/07/80 (enlisted)
to 10/16/81 (officer)
You must have served at least 181 days of continuous active duty and
been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. If you served
less than 181 days, you may be eligible if discharged for a service
connected disability.
Service after 09/07/80 (enlisted) or 10/16/81 (officer)
If you were separated from service which began after these dates, you
must have:
(a) Completed 24 months of
continuous active duty or the full period (at least 181 days) for which
you were ordered or called to active duty and been discharged under
conditions other than dishonorable, or
(b) Completed at least 181
days of active duty and been discharged under the specific authority of
10 USC 1173 (Hardship), or 10 USC 1171 (Early out), or have been
determined to have a compensable service-connected disability;
(c) Been discharged with
less than 181 days of service for a service-connected disability.
Individuals may also be eligible if they were released from active duty
due to an involuntary reduction in force, certain medical conditions,
or, in some instances for the convenience of the Government.
Gulf War -
Service during period 08/02/90 to date yet to be determined
If you served on active duty during the
Gulf War, you must have:
(a) completed 24 months of
continuous active duty or the full period (at least 90 days) for which
you were called or ordered to active duty, and been discharged under
conditions other than dishonorable; or
(b) completed at least 90
days of active duty and been discharged under the specific authority of
10 USC 1173 (Hardship), or 10 USC 1173 (Early out), or have been
determined to have a compensable service-connected disability, or
(c) been discharged with
less than 90 days of service for a service-connected disability.
Individuals may also be eligible if they were released from active duty
due to an involuntary reduction in force, certain medical conditions,
or, in some instances, for the convenience of the Government.
Active Duty
Service Personnel
If you are now on regular active duty
(not active
duty for training), you are eligible after having served 181 days (90
days during the Gulf War) unless discharged or separated from a
previous qualifying period of active duty service.
Selected
Reserves or National Guard
If you are not otherwise eligible and
you have
completed a total of 6 years in the Selected Reserves or National Guard
(member of an active unit, attended required weekend drills and 2-week
active duty for training) and
(a) were discharged with an honorable discharge; or
(b) were placed on the retired list; or
(c) were transferred to the
Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the
Selected Reserve after service characterized as honorable service; or
(d) continue to serve in the Selected Reserves.
Individuals who completed less than 6
years may be
eligible if discharged for a service- connected disability.
You may also
be determined eligible if you:
(a) are an unremarried spouse of a
veteran who died
while in service or from a service connected disability, or
(b) are a spouse of a serviceperson
missing in action or a prisoner or war.
[NOTE: Also, a surviving spouse who
remarries on or
after attaining age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003, may be
eligible for the home loan benefit. However, a surviving spouse who
remarried before December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57,
must apply no later than December 15, 2004, to establish home loan
eligibility. VA must deny applications from surviving spouses who
remarried before December 16, 2003 that are received after December 15,
2004.]
Eligibility
may also be established for:
(a) certain United States citizens who
served in the
armed forces of a government allied with the United States in WWII.
(b) individuals with service as members
in certain
organizations, such as Public Health Service officers, cadets at the
United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard Academy, midshipmen
at the United States Naval Academy, officers of National Oceanic
&
Atmospheric Administration, merchant seaman with WW II service, and
others.
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Eligibility. We will be happy to help you get one. Please
fill
out the request form below and we will send a blank VA Form 26-1880
(Request
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