Yes, that is possible. VA has no hard maximum DTI, and residual income is the test that decides it. VA's own guideline treats 41% as a benchmark, and it is explicit that a ratio above that line is not, by itself, a reason to deny the loan. The underwriter instead looks at residual income: the money left over each month after the mortgage, other debts, taxes, and basic living expenses. The standard guidance when DTI runs past 41% is residual income exceeding the regional table minimum by at least 20%, supported by compensating factors. Clear that bar and a much higher ratio can be justified. Any flat VA cap you hear quoted is a lender overlay. You are drawing the right distinction between income you can document and income you can count. A VA education stipend generally cannot be used as qualifying income; VA treats education benefits like the GI Bill housing allowance as temporary and excludes them. But documentable income that produces strong residual income can still carry a file well past the standard ratios, because residual income is what VA weighs most heavily. We have personally seen VA loans approved well above 70% DTI, precisely because the residual income was there to support them. The caveat: files like this are genuinely case-by-case and reward a lender who does a lot of VA loans. If this is your situation, the free Roadmap conversation is a good place to see whether your residual income supports the payment you have in mind.