There is no Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loan limit if you have full entitlement, though the lender still decides how much you can borrow. At Rank and Pay, we show how each figure is calculated. The VA states this rule on its VA home loan limits page.
Is There a VA Loan Limit?
Full entitlement still does not mean you can take a loan of any size. The lender decides how much you can borrow. That decision rests on four parts of your finances:
- Credit history
- Income
- Debts
- Assets
The property sets a second ceiling. The maximum VA loan on a home is the lower of its appraised value or its purchase price. If the appraisal comes in below the purchase price, the appraised value becomes the cap. VA loan limits therefore split into two cases. With full entitlement, the VA sets no cap, and the lender and the appraisal set the working limit. Without full entitlement, a limit applies, and it is based on the county where the property is located. The VA loan entitlement explainer covers entitlement in more depth than this page.
Basic Entitlement and the $144,000 Threshold
Basic entitlement, also called tier 1, covers loans of $144,000 or less and is listed on the Certificate of Eligibility (COE). On a loan of $144,000 or less, basic entitlement is the maximum the VA will repay the lender. It does not set the amount you can borrow. Read the basic entitlement line on the COE as the VA's repayment ceiling to the lender. The amount you can borrow is a separate number, set by the lender from your credit history, income, debts and assets, and capped by the lower of the appraised value or purchase price. For loans above $144,000, the VA guarantees up to 25 percent of the loan amount. The same 25 percent appears as the 0.25 multiplier in both bonus entitlement formulas below.
Bonus Entitlement Formulas for Loans Over $144,000
Bonus entitlement, also called tier 2, applies to loans over $144,000. It is not listed on the COE, so you have to calculate it. The formula you use depends on whether you have full entitlement.
Formula with Full Entitlement
With full entitlement, bonus entitlement equals the loan amount times 0.25. On a $700,000 loan, that is $700,000 × 0.25 = $175,000. On a $900,000 loan, it is $900,000 × 0.25 = $225,000. No county figure appears in this formula.
Full Entitlement vs Remaining Bonus Entitlement
Full entitlement and remaining bonus entitlement differ in what caps the loan and which numbers the calculation needs.
| Item | With Full Entitlement | Without Full Entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| VA loan limit | None, if the loan is affordable and the appraisal supports the price | Based on remaining bonus entitlement |
| Bonus entitlement formula | Loan amount × 0.25 | One-Unit Limit × 0.25, minus Entitlement Charged |
| County limit in the math | No | Yes, the One-Unit Limit for the property's county |
| Inputs you need | Loan amount | County One-Unit Limit and the COE Entitlement Charged figure |
| Lender review | Credit history, income, debts and assets | Credit history, income, debts and assets |
| Property cap | Lower of appraised value or purchase price | Lower of appraised value or purchase price |
VA Loan Limits Without Full Entitlement
Without full entitlement, the VA loan limit is based on your remaining bonus entitlement, which depends on the county loan limit where the property is located. This page does not estimate a down payment amount.
County Loan Limits and the FHFA Lookup
VA county loan limits match the conforming loan limits published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The VA loan limits page does not publish a 2026 county limit figure, so this page does not list one. For a 2026 figure, look up the county's One-Unit Limit on the FHFA conforming loan limit page. The numbers below are VA.gov's example and do not describe any specific county.
- County loan limit: $900,000.
- $900,000 × 0.25 = $225,000.
- Entitlement already used: $50,000.
- $225,000 minus $50,000 = $175,000 of remaining bonus entitlement.
VA.gov's example estimates a $700,000 maximum loan without a down payment. A veteran with full entitlement has no VA loan limit. The lender's review and the appraisal set that veteran's ceiling instead.
Entitlement Figures on the Certificate of Eligibility
The COE holds the VA side of the calculation. Basic entitlement is listed there, and the Entitlement Charged column shows the entitlement already used that goes into the second bonus formula. The Certificate of Eligibility guide explains the form, and the VA home loan guide covers the wider benefit. Eligibility for the benefit is set out on the VA's home loan eligibility page. Loan limits are separate from the funding fee and closing costs. The VA funding fee explainer and the VA loan closing costs explainer cover those charges. To work out whether VA loan limits apply in a given county, find the Entitlement Charged figure on the COE, then pull that county's One-Unit Limit from the FHFA lookup. This page is for information only and is not legal or benefits advice, and Rank and Pay is not affiliated with the VA.