VETERANS PRESS: VA home loan programs for surviving spouses

To get a VA-backed home loan as the surviving spouse of a Veteran, you’ll need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to show your lender that you qualify for this benefit. Find out if you can get a COE. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to meet your lender’s credit and income requirements to get a loan. 

We can help with your questions about debt and other financial concerns.

Get the latest information about concerns like managing VA debt, or paying your VA copays or VA-backed home loan during this time. 

Can I get a COE? 

You may be able to get a COE if you’re the spouse of a Veteran, and at least one of the descriptions below is true for them. 

At least one of these must be true. The Veteran: 

• Is missing in action, or 

• Is a prisoner of war (POW), or 

• Died while in service or from a service-connected disability and you didn’t remarry, or 

• Died while in service or from a service-connected disability and you didn’t remarry before you were 57 years old or before Dec. 16, 2003, or 

• Had been totally disabled and then died, but their disability may not have been the cause of death (in certain situations) 

Note: A surviving spouse who remarried before Dec. 16, 2003, and on or after their 57th birthday, must have applied no later than Dec. 15, 2004, to establish home loan eligibility. We’ll have to deny applications we received after Dec. 15, 2004, from surviving spouses who remarried before Dec. 16, 2003. 

For local help, see the North Idaho Resource Directory in this publication.