National Guard & Reserve Eligibility
Guard and Reserve eligibility for the VA loan expanded significantly in 2020. If you were told 'no' before then, ask again.
The 6-year rule
6 years of honorable service in the Selected Reserve or National Guard qualifies you — even without federal active service.
You must still be serving, honorably discharged, transferred to Standby Reserve after honorable service, or retired.
Federal active service (Title 10)
90 cumulative days of federal active service, with at least 30 consecutive, also qualifies you.
Title 32 (state active duty) service by itself does not qualify — but many Guard members have Title 10 periods they don't realize count.
Documents to pull
NGB-22 for Guard separation.
Points statement showing creditable service years.
DD-214 for any active-duty periods.
Not sure this applies to you?
We'll pull your COE and tell you exactly where you stand — in minutes, at no cost.
Check my eligibility