# VA entitlement

> VA entitlement is the amount the VA will guarantee to your lender. How full and remaining entitlement work and when you need a down payment.

URL: https://mortgage-math-us.com/glossary/va-entitlement/  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29 · By the MortgageMath US Editorial team

## Quick answer

**VA entitlement** is the amount the Department of Veterans Affairs will guarantee to a lender on your behalf if you default on a VA loan. Most lenders want your entitlement, a down payment, or both to cover 25% of the loan, so the entitlement you have available decides how much you can borrow with no money down.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA guaranty on most loans | 25% | [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-limits/) | Aug 12, 2025 |
| County limit used in the example (2026 baseline) | $832,750 | [FHFA](https://www.fhfa.gov/news/news-release/fhfa-announces-conforming-loan-limit-values-for-2026) | 2026 limit |

## Full vs remaining entitlement

You have **full entitlement** if you’ve never used the benefit or had it restored, typically by selling the home and paying off the earlier VA loan. With full entitlement the VA sets no loan limit; the lender decides what you can afford. You have **remaining entitlement** if part of it is still tied up, for example in a VA loan you haven’t paid off. The guaranty is then based on your county’s one-unit [conforming loan limit](https://mortgage-math-us.com/glossary/conforming-loan-limit/). Your Certificate of Eligibility shows what you have.

> **Worked example: Remaining entitlement in a county at $832,750**
>
> 25% of the county limit is $208,188. Subtract $50,000 already used and $158,188 remains. Most lenders would lend up to 4 times that — $632,750 — with no down payment. On a $700,000 loan, they would want $16,813 down to fill the gap.

See the [VA loans guide](https://mortgage-math-us.com/loan-types/va-loans/#entitlement) and [using a VA loan twice](https://mortgage-math-us.com/blog/using-a-va-loan-twice/).

## Related terms

- [VA loan](https://mortgage-math-us.com/glossary/va-loan/) and [VA funding fee](https://mortgage-math-us.com/glossary/va-funding-fee/)

## Sources

- [FHFA](https://www.fhfa.gov/news/news-release/fhfa-announces-conforming-loan-limit-values-for-2026) — 2026 baseline conforming loan limit (one-unit) (2026 limit)
- [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-limits/) — VA guaranty on loans above $144,000 (share of the loan amount) (Aug 12, 2025)
- [VA: Loan limits and entitlement](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-limits/)

_General information, not financial advice._