VA can help you make improvements to your home for greater accessibility, and purchase a new home with great loan programs.
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All about the VA Home Loan Program
Although the VA doesn’t directly lend money for homes, it does guarantee them. Qualified Veterans can borrow up to $417,000 with no down payment (your lender may ask you pay a down payment on a percentage of the remainder, if any).
You can also use VA-guaranteed financing for other purposes as well, such as:
- Buying a townhouse or condominium unit.
- Building a home
- Repairing, altering or improving a home.
- Simultaneously purchasing and improving a home.
- Refinancing an existing home loan.
- Refinancing an existing VA loan to reduce the interest rate and add energy-efficient improvements.
- Buying a manufactured (mobile) home and/or lot.
- Buying and improving a lot on which to place a manufactured home you already own and occupy.
Learn more about the VA Home Loan Program on the VA’s website.
Eligibility for the VA Home Loan Program
Veterans discharged in other than dishonorable conditions must meet active-duty requirements in order to be eligible for the VA Home Loan Program, which varies depending on the period served. Learn more about criteria eligibility on the VA’s website.
Unmarried surviving spouses of a Veteran who died on active duty or as the result of a service-connected disability are also eligible for the home loan benefit.
Home improvement and structural alterations
The VA’s home improvement and structural alterations (HISA) benefit provides medically necessary improvements and structural alterations to Veterans/Service members primary residence for the following purposes:
- Allowing entrance to or exit from the primary residence.
- Use of essential lavatory and sanitary facilities (e.g. roll in showers)
- Allowing accessibility to kitchen or bathroom sinks or counters (e.g. lowering counters/sinks)
- Improving entrance paths or driveways in immediate area of the home to facilitate access to the home through construction of permanent ramping
- Improving plumbing or electrical systems made necessary due to installation if home medical equipment
Learn more about the specific amounts offered and eligibility requirements for a HISA grant on the VA’s website.
PVA’s Architecture team offers free design assistance for Veterans looking to modify their home. We also offer our resource, Accessible Home Design at a discounted rate to PVA members.
Do grades matter, and what to do if you're not making progress?
You need to make “satisfactory progress” towards your education to continue receiving payment, meaning you have to meet your school’s minimum requirements for passing as you meet your objective.
If you have failed a course needed to graduate, the VA will pay for you to retake that class in most circumstances.
If you drop out of school or a training program, you may still be able to be recertified or use your benefits at a later date. If you return to the same institution, your school will need to recertify you to the VA.
