good morning nancy....first of all, the $36,000 number is equal to one-forth of your boyfriend's eligiblity....therefore, he can purchase a home with a va mortgage amount up to $144,000...with your basic entitlement of $36,000. For loans in excess of $144,000 to purchase or construct a home, additional entitlement up to an amount equal to 25 percent of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit for a single family home may be available.......these loans may go zero down, but also understand that the va certificate does not insure loan approval.he still needs to qualify as any other mortgage applicant.....credit usually has to be good.debt ratio, time on the job....etc...etc are also all considered........take the certificate or call a local lender in your area that does va, and pre-approve.i hope that helps.bob mcclure- success mortgage partners- plymouth, michigan......

The entitlement means your boyfriend has the regular entitlement to purchase a home up to $417,000 as I understand it, subject to qualifying income and credit wise.
http://www.homeloans.va.gov/eligibility.htm

My company has a website dedicated to VA mortgage loans listed below and feel free to call me or email me with any VA related questions.

Only a veteran and his/her spouse may be on a VA mortgage to qulify as an FYI.

This loan is most likley a general unsecured loan with which your boyfriend can use for which ever purchase he wants. It is not specific that these funds need to be used for a home purchase. It is a low intrest loan with great terms.
If you are looking to purchase a home you need to apply for this with purchase amount and some type of support income to pay back the loan. If this is what was done to procure this loan than the income is only enough to support this loan amount.