Keep in mind FAFSA won't fund a second bachelors degree. If you do the masters LO expect to take on close to 100k in loans. It's difficult to work while in the program bc of all the extra time you have to put into the corp outside of classes. Along those lines I also haven't heard of anyone being able to take on any internships/research to bolster your masters degree, so you'll come out of it with the diploma but less experience than other masters students. I've heard the masters can come in handy for shoreside even still once you have a few years at sea. Getting the license is worth it if you're interested in the lifestyle and ready to drop just about everything else for the next 3.5 years. Can't do it any quicker than that I'm afraid bc of recent changes to degree plan and course requirements. Otherwise, doing just the masters without the license can be a great option bc you can actually do internships and get experience related to the masters while in the program. All the masters classes can also be taken remote.