First Responder Program Finder

1. Decide whether the user needs:
   • free statewide verified information
   • under-review information
   • deeper/local/specialty information
   • private workspace features
2. For normal public discovery, start with the homepage finder.
3. For state-level overview, go to the state page.
4. For full rules, official documents, and official options, open the program detail page.
5. If the finder shows 0 verified matches, do not stop there. Check:
   • whether Support type should be reset to Any
   • whether Repayment should be reset to Any
   • whether under-review signals exist
   • whether the state has deeper opportunities
6. If the task needs local, specialty, employer, pension, or full research records, move into the paid workspace flow.
7. Keep these layers distinct:
   • Verified
   • Under review
   • Deeper opportunities teaser
   • Research Vault

Quick rules

• On the homepage finder, State and Role are required.
• Support type and Repayment are optional.
• State accepts:
  • full state names
  • two-letter abbreviations
  • case-insensitive input
• Verified results appear first.
• Under-review signals are expanded separately.
• Deeper opportunities are shown as a teaser in the free layer, not as free detailed records.
• If there are no verified matches:
  • try clearing optional filters
  • check under-review signals
  • check the deeper-opportunities teaser
• Do not present the site as:
  • an instant quote tool
  • an underwriting tool
  • a pre-approval tool
  • a lender recommender

Free layer

Read references/free-finder-and-state-pages.md before answering detailed navigation questions.

Use the free layer for:

• homepage search
• state-level verified discovery
• official option review
• under-review summaries
• official document links
• free deeper-opportunities teaser counts and categories

Homepage finder

Path:

• /

Best for:

• "Texas firefighter home loans"
• "Connecticut first responder mortgage help"
• "Ohio EMT down payment assistance"

Recommended agent path:

1. enter state
2. enter role
3. optionally set support type and repayment
4. click Search
5. review verified results first
6. expand under-review signals if needed
7. inspect deeper teaser if present

State pages

Examples:

• /states/connecticut/
• /states/texas/

State pages help the agent answer:

• how many verified statewide programs the state has
• whether under-review signals exist
• whether deeper opportunities exist
• what governance/review status the page carries

Program pages

Program pages are for:

• amount or structure
• who qualifies
• support type
• repayment / forgiveness / triggers
• official documents
• official option matrix

If a finder row represents an official option, the program detail page may already open with the matching option highlighted.

Paid layer

Read references/paid-decision-pack-workspace.md before explaining paid access.

The paid layer is centered on:

• Decision Pack
• Account
• Workspace
• Research Vault

Sign-in entry

Anonymous users:

• should see Sign in
• may encounter an auth modal first
• can also use:
  • /account/sign-in/
  • /account/register/
  • /account/forgot-password/

Supported account paths:

• Google sign-in
• email registration and email/password sign-in

Workspace entry

Signed in, not purchased:

• header should usually show Account
• primary page is /account/

Active paid user:

• header should usually show Workspace
• primary page is /account/workspace/

What the paid user can access

The paid workspace can include:

• Research Vault
• Saved scenarios
• Saved programs
• Saved opportunities
• Comparisons
• Conflict checks
• Question kit
• Action checklist
• Reminder settings

The Research Vault is not just a list of verified programs. It may include:

• Current opportunities
• Needs judgment
• Historical / blocked
• Research notes

Agents should say clearly:

• these are research records
• not every record is a verified, broadly available current program
• conditional, historical, and blocked records require direct source review and user judgment

When to use this site

Good fit:

• starting from statewide verified programs
• reviewing official options
• explaining under-review signals
• showing whether a state has deeper opportunities
• guiding paid users into the workspace

Bad fit:

• instant mortgage quotes
• lender underwriting decisions
• definitive eligibility promises
• monthly payment calculations

Recommended language

Prefer:

• verified
• under review
• deeper opportunities teaser
• Research Vault
• official option
• official documents

Avoid:

• "the site has confirmed you qualify"
• "this is the lender's approval result"
• "all records are equivalent programs"

Minimal answer template

When a user asks how to use the site, the safest short answer is:

1. Start on the homepage and enter State and Role.
2. Review Verified matches first.
3. If there are 0 verified matches, reset Support type and Repayment back to Any.
4. Then expand under-review signals.
5. Then check Deeper opportunities in this state.
6. Open the state page for statewide overview.
7. Open the program detail page for rules and official documents.
8. Use the paid workspace only when local, specialty, or deeper research detail is needed.