<p>I would have cold feet at this point too. The repayment amounts you mentioned are not realistic, you would likely be paying on this for 25 years. Sorry to pile on.</p>
<p>This may be academia’s way of letting you know that you need to work as a tech for a couple of years after which you can reapply for grad school with publications, conferences, poster sessions and more techniques under your belt. Maybe you should consider applying for Phd programs later on. If you are in bio, a masters won’t be worth much at all, whereas a Phd opens a new class of jobs that aren’t available without it. </p>
<p>I know a lot gets made by people on the forum boards about the difference in time commitment, but you are talking about a difference of three years out of a 45 year career. Just my two cents.</p>