VA Form 10-0103: Where to Send It and How Long a HISA Grant Takes

VA Form 10-0103 is the application for the VA's HISA grant, the benefit that helps pay for home changes a VA doctor prescribes: a ramp at the door, a roll-in shower, wider doorways. Most of the questions veterans bring us are not about the form itself. They are about what to send with it, who it goes to, and how long the wait is. This guide answers those, in order.

If you want the bigger picture first, start with our step-by-step guide to applying for the HISA grant or check who is eligible. If you already have a prescription in hand, keep reading.

What VA Form 10-0103 is

Its full name is "Veterans Application for Assistance in Acquiring Home Improvements and Structural Alterations." It is a short form. You fill in your information, describe the work your doctor prescribed, and sign. The current version is dated February 2025.

You can download VA Form 10-0103 from va.gov as a PDF, or ask for a paper copy at your VA medical center.

One box on the form matters more than the rest: the request for an advance payment. Check it. It lets the VA pay part of the grant before the work starts, which is explained below.

Where to send it

There is no national address for HISA applications. The form goes to the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, usually called PSAS or "prosthetics," at the VA medical center where you get your care. That office reviews the packet, authorizes the grant, and handles payment.

For veterans we work with in Texas, that means:

• Houston: VA Houston health care, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030

• San Antonio: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard, San Antonio, TX 78229

• Austin: Austin VA Clinic, 7901 Metropolis Drive, Austin, TX 78744, part of VA Central Texas health care

Ask your VA provider, social worker, or the prosthetics office how they want to receive the packet. Some accept it in person, some by fax or mail. Sending it to the wrong office adds weeks, so ask before you send.

What goes in the packet

The VA's own rules list five things a HISA packet must contain to be considered complete. A packet missing any one of them comes back to you, and the wait starts over.

1. A prescription from your VA doctor that names your diagnosis and explains why the home change is medically necessary.

2. The signed VA Form 10-0103, with the advance payment box checked if you want an advance.

3. A signed statement from the property owner allowing the work. If you are not the owner, for example if the house belongs to a family member or a landlord, that statement has to be notarized.

4. A written, itemized estimate for labor, materials, permits, and inspections, from a licensed, bonded, or insured contractor.

5. A color photograph of the area before any work is done.

Items four and five are the ones a contractor provides. After a free in-home assessment, LiveWell writes the estimate the way the VA wants to see it, with each part of the job priced separately, on a licensed and insured contractor's paperwork, and takes the before photo. You get both to put in the packet.

How long a HISA grant takes

The VA does not publish a turnaround time, and it varies by medical center. Three things set the pace:

• How soon your VA doctor writes the prescription. Ask at your next appointment rather than waiting for a separate visit.

• How soon you have the estimate and photo. Get those before you submit, so the packet arrives complete the first time.

• How busy the prosthetics office is. This is the part you cannot control.

Do not start the work before you have the approval in writing. The VA's rules only pay for work done before approval in narrow situations, and you should not count on being one of them. What you can do while you wait is have the assessment done and the estimate written, so the job is ready to schedule the day the approval arrives.

How much the grant pays, and how the money arrives

HISA is a lifetime amount, not a yearly one:

• Up to $6,800 if the work addresses a service-connected disability, or a non-service-connected disability when you have a service-connected rating of 50 percent or more.

• Up to $2,000 for any other non-service-connected disability.

Because it is a lifetime benefit, anything you used on a previous HISA project counts against it. The prosthetics office can tell you what you have left.

The VA pays the veteran, not the contractor. If you asked for an advance on the form, the VA can pay up to half of the approved amount within 30 days of approval, and the rest when the work is finished and inspected. If you did not ask for an advance, the payment comes at the end. That is why the box on the form matters.

The grant pays toward the approved work. If the job costs more than your grant amount, you or another program covers the difference. Our who pays for it page lists the other programs that can help.

What HISA will not pay for

The VA's list of exclusions is specific. HISA does not pay for:

• Walkways to outbuildings, exterior decking, spas, hot tubs, or new construction

• Home security systems

• Removable equipment such as portable ramps, porch lifts, and stair glides

• Routine repairs and maintenance, like a new roof, furnace, or air conditioner

HISA is written for permanent structural changes: permanent ramps, roll-in showers and accessible bathrooms, wider doorways, lowered counters, and the plumbing or electrical work that medical equipment needs. A stairlift is on the VA's removable-equipment list, so if you need one, ask your VA provider which route fits. It may be funded as medical equipment or through the larger SAH and SHA grants instead.

Common questions

Do I need to be in VA health care to apply?

Yes. The packet is processed by the prosthetics office at the VA medical center where you receive care, and the prescription has to come from a VA doctor or one the VA authorizes.

My disability is not service-connected. Can I still apply?

Yes. The lifetime amount is $2,000, or $6,800 if you also have a service-connected rating of 50 percent or more.

Can I use HISA more than once?

You can apply for more than one project, but the lifetime amount does not reset. Once you have used it, it is gone.

What does LiveWell actually do?

We do the free in-home assessment, write the itemized estimate the VA requires, take the before photo, and build the job after the VA approves it. We do not submit the application for you or decide the amount. The VA does that.

Ready to start the packet?

If you are in Houston, Austin, or San Antonio, request a free assessment or call (833) 548-6447. We will look at the house, tell you what the work would cost with or without the grant, and give you the estimate and photo your packet needs. More on how we work with veterans is on our Veterans and VA grants page.