INSTRUCTIONS FOR VA FORM 26-1880
PRIVACY ACT NOTICE - VA will not disclose information collected on this form to any source other than what has been authorized under the Privacy Act of 1974
or Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations 1.576 for routine uses (for example: the authorized release of information to Congress when requested for statistical purposes)
identified in the VA system of records, 55VA26, Loan Guaranty Home, Condominium and Manufactured Home Loan Applicant Records, Specially Adapted Housing
Applicant Records, and Vendee Loan Applicant Records - VA, published in the Federal Register. Your response is required in order to obtain or retain benefits. Giving
us your SSN account information is voluntary. Refusal to provide your SSN by itself will not result in the denial of benefits. VA will not deny an individual benefits for
refusing to provide his or her SSN unless the disclosure of the SSN is required by Federal Statute of law in effect prior to January 1, 1975, and still in effect.
RESPONDENT BURDEN - This information is needed to help determine a veteran's qualifications for a VA guaranteed home loan. Title 38, U.S.C., section
3702, authorizes collection of this information. We estimate that you will need an average of 15 minutes to review the instructions, find the information, and
complete this form. VA cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed. You are not required to respond to a
collection of information if this number is not displayed. Valid OMB control numbers can be located on the OMB Internet Page at
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
VA FORM 26-1880, NOV 2019
Selected Reserve Service (Including Active Duty Training and Active Guard Reserve) - You may submit a copy of your latest annual retirement points statement
and evidence of honorable service. There is no single form used by the Reserves similar to the DD Form 214 or NGB Form 22. The following forms are commonly
used, but others may be acceptable:
Army Reserve DA FORM 5016
Naval Reserve NRPC 1070-124
Air Force Reserve AF 526
Marine Corps Reserve NA VMC 798
Coast Guard Reserve CG 4174 or 4175
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A. YOUR IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
Item 1 - Tell us your complete name, as you would like it to appear on your Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
Item 4B - If you served under another name, provide the name as it appears on your discharge certificate (DD Form 214).
Item 8B - In most cases, your VA claim number is the same as your Social Security Number. If you are not sure of your VA claim number, leave this field
blank.
B. MILITARY SERVICE
Item 9 - NOTE - Cases involving other than honorable discharges will usually require further development by VA. This is necessary to determine if the service was
under other than dishonorable conditions.
Item 9A - If you are currently serving on regular active duty, eligibility can usually be established based on data in VA systems. However, in some situations you may
be asked to provide a statement of service signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. The statement
may be in any format; usually a standard or bulleted memo is sufficient. It should identify you by name and social security number, and provide: (1) your date of entry
on your current active duty period and (2) the duration of any time lost (or a statement noting there has been no lost time). Generally this should be on military
letterhead.
Item 9C - Active Service (not including Active Duty Training or Active Guard Reserve service) - the best evidence to show your service is your discharge certificate
(DD Form 214) showing active duty dates and type of discharge. If you were separated after October 1, 1979, the DD214 was issued in several parts (copies). We are
required to have a copy showing the character of service (Item 24) and the narrative reason for separation (Item 28). We prefer the MEMBER-4 copy, however, we can
accept any copy that contains these items. The copy number is shown on the bottom right of the form. We don't need the original; a photocopy is acceptable. Any
Veterans Services Representative in the nearest Department of Veterans Affairs office or center will assist you in securing necessary proof of military service.
Item 9DC - National Guard Service: You may submit NGB Form 22, Report of Separation and Record of Service, or NGB Form 23, Retirement Points Accounting,
or their equivalent. We are required to have a copy showing character of service.
Item 9B - The VA funding fee may not be collected from a member of the Armed Forces who is currently serving on active duty and has been awarded the Purple
Heart. You may be asked to provide evidence of having been awarded the Purple Heart.
C. PREVIOUS LOANS
Items 10 through 14. Your eligibility is reusable depending on the circumstances. Normally, if you have paid off your prior VA loan and no longer own the home, you
can have your used eligibility restored for additional use. Also, on a one-time only basis, you may have your eligibility restored if your prior VA loan has been paid in
full but you still own the home. Normally VA receives notification that a loan has been paid. In some instances, it may be necessary to include evidence that a previous
VA loan has been paid in full. Evidence can be in the form of a paid-in-full statement from the former lender, a satisfaction of mortgage from the clerk of court in the
county where the home is located, or a copy of the HUD-1 or Closing Disclosure settlement statement completed in connection with a sale of the home or refinance of
the prior loan. Many counties post public documents (like the satisfaction of mortgage) online.
Item 11A. One-Time Restoration. If you have paid off your VA loan, but still own the home purchased with that loan, you may apply for a one-time only restoration
of your entitlement in order to purchase another home that will be your primary residence. Once you have used your one-time restoration, you must sell all homes
before any other entitlement can be restored.
Item 12A. Regular (cash-out) Refinance. You may refinance your current VA or non-VA loan in order to pay off the mortgage and/or other liens of record on the
home. This type of refinance requires an appraisal and credit qualifying.
Item 13A. Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (IRRRL). You may refinance the balance of your current VA loan in order to obtain a lower interest rate or
convert a VA adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate. The new loan may not exceed the sum of the outstanding balance on the existing VA loan, plus allowable fees and
closing costs, including VA funding fee and up to 2 discount points. You may also add up to $6,000 of energy efficiency improvements into the loan.
If you are still serving in the Selected Reserves or the National Guard, you must include an original statement of service signed by, or by the direction of, the adjutant,
personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters showing your date of entry and the length of time that you have been a member of the Selected
Reserves. At least 6 years of honorable service must be documented.
