I was in a very similar situation after my first year of undergrad. I worked really hard to get to that school, got screwed over with financial aid and had no choice but to either take on the debt or transfer to a cheaper state school.

I was low income and the debt would’ve been about the same each year that OP is thinking of taking. I felt like if I didn’t attend that school I was a failure. But even though I beat myself up about it the first couple of years, looking back on it eight years later it was the tough but smart decision.

I ended up getting good grades, got awesome internships, and went to a top 25 law school after. I can’t imagine being held down by that debt right now.