If you may use an FHA mortgage to buy a home in North Carolina, the credit score a lender submits could soon come from a newer scoring model. The Federal Housing Administration announced on September 10, 2026, that it will begin accepting VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T for certain FHA underwriting decisions on January 1, 2027. Classic FICO is not disappearing, and the change does not automatically alter your credit report or promise a different loan result.
What exactly did FHA announce?
FHA said the newer models will be eligible for FHA Title II forward mortgages evaluated through its Technology Open To Approved Lenders Scorecard, often called TOTAL. The change applies to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2027. FHA described the transition in its September announcement and published an alternative credit scores preparedness guide for lenders and technology providers.
TOTAL is an automated underwriting tool. A lender submits information about the borrower and the proposed mortgage, and the system evaluates the file under FHA rules. A case number is an identifier connected to an FHA mortgage file. It is not necessarily the day you first call a lender, tour a home, or receive a pre-approval.
The announcement adds VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T alongside Classic FICO. It does not say that every lender must stop using Classic FICO or switch every borrower to a newer model. FHA's guide says lenders may submit one or more eligible models, provided they follow the rules for everyone on the loan.
Why can the score look different under another model?
A credit score is a model's interpretation of information in your credit reports. The reports contain account histories and other credit records supplied to the credit bureaus. A scoring formula weighs those records and produces a score that helps a lender evaluate credit risk.
VantageScore 4.0, FICO Score 10T, and Classic FICO are different formulas. Because they do not interpret every part of a report in exactly the same way, the same report can produce different scores. A change in the displayed score does not mean the underlying report was rewritten. It means another model read that report.
The newer model names also do not erase lender judgment. A mortgage decision can involve income, debts, assets, the property, the loan type, and program rules in addition to credit. A score is one input in a larger review. Down payment assistance can involve a separate program review as well.
Will a newer score help me qualify?
There is no universal answer. One model may read a particular credit history differently from another, but you cannot assume the result will move in a helpful direction. FHA's guide also says that when a lender submits more than one model to TOTAL, every submitted model must pass the scorecard evaluation for the transaction to receive an accept result.
If you apply with another borrower, the lender cannot mix models by using one model for you and another for your co-borrower. Everyone on the loan must be scored with the same model or set of models. That matters because the lowest applicable result can affect how the lender evaluates the full transaction.
This change also does not set the rules for every mortgage. It concerns the FHA process described in the announcement. Conventional, VA-backed, USDA, and other loan paths follow their own requirements. A lender may compare suitable options based on your full file.
What if I want down payment assistance too?
An FHA mortgage and down payment assistance are related pieces of financing, but they are not the same decision. FHA sets requirements for the insured first mortgage. The assistance provider sets requirements for its program, and the participating lender must make sure the pieces work together.
If you are considering the NC Home Advantage Mortgage or its associated assistance, use the NC Home Advantage Mortgage program page to review sourced details for the mortgage and its assistance. Then ask a participating lender how the FHA scoring change fits the loan and assistance combination you are considering.
A newer score model does not override income limits, property rules, homebuyer education requirements, or other program conditions. It also does not confirm that a particular lender can use a particular model for your file. Those are separate questions.
What should I do before the change takes effect?
1. Check your credit reports
Read each report for accounts you do not recognize, incorrect balances, or payments marked late when you paid on time. A scoring model can only evaluate the information it receives. If the source information is wrong, learn how to dispute it with the bureau reporting the error and keep records of the dispute.
2. Protect the history you already have
Pay bills by their due dates, avoid opening credit you do not need, and talk with a lender before making a major financing move during a home search. These habits do not produce a promised score, but they help prevent avoidable surprises in the information a model reviews.
3. Ask which date controls your file
If you expect to buy near January 1, 2027, ask when the lender expects an FHA case number to be assigned. The announcement ties implementation to that event, not simply to your application or closing date. Your timing may place the file under the earlier process or the updated one.
4. Ask how the lender will handle score models
Useful questions include which model or models the lender expects to submit, whether its systems are ready for the change, and what happens if models return different results. Also ask whether the answer changes when you add a co-borrower or combine the FHA mortgage with assistance.
What is not settled yet?
FHA has announced the implementation date and issued preparation material, but lenders and credit providers still have operational work to do. FHA said its existing credit-report policy remains in effect until formal policy updates are published and the implementation begins. That means a lender should not treat the preparedness guide as a reason to change an FHA file early.
Lenders may also adopt the newer options differently within FHA's rules. Some may begin with one model, while others may build a process for reviewing more than one. Ask what your lender actually supports when your case is assigned instead of relying on a general statement about the industry.
If you are buying before the change, focus on the process your lender uses for your file today. If you are buying after it, add model selection to your lender questions. In either case, correcting report errors and keeping your finances steady remain useful.
The bottom line
Starting January 1, 2027, FHA will accept VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T alongside Classic FICO for the forward mortgages covered by its announcement. The change expands the models a lender may submit; it does not replace every score, guarantee a better result, or remove the rest of underwriting.
Review the North Carolina homebuyer programs, then ask a participating lender which credit score model it expects to use, when your FHA case number would be assigned, and how any assistance program will be reviewed with your first mortgage. For conventional loans, read how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expanding VantageScore access.