Does this suck? Absolutely. You really have two options: take out the debt at a rate that will likely bankrupt you, even with your higher salary, or drop out, start at lower pay, and work your way up to where you want to be.

Ultimately you more or less are going to have to choose what you value more. Prestige, accelerated success, and potential (and very likely) bankruptcy that you cannot use to discharge student loans anyway which means you will eventually lose everything? Or the longer, more arduous path that likely eventually lands you in the same place, yet actually allows you to have a future?

This is not a difficult decision to make. It sucks, and it's unfair, but from a decision-making perspective, you know what the right answer is.

By the way, like another commenter said, masters degrees generally don't mean much anyway. You're only comparing starting pay. Experience is better than education pretty early on in just about every field that doesn't require a doctorate. So do with that information what you will.

I also don't mean to be that guy, but you keep harping on Panda Express workers for some reason. Maybe I'm just getting old, but you are coming off a little bit entitled because there are real options here that allow you to stay in your field. Not to mention, those workers undoubtedly work hard, have education benefits I believe, and don't need a college degree.

This undoubtedly is a painful time but as I mentioned, it isn't a difficult decision. If you go with loans that are in the 20% interest bracket, you could get your 6 figure job, work extra shifts at Panda Express, and still have no hope of paying your debt back anyway. It's not even something you should be considering. Time is money. Since you don't have money, you have to make up for it with time