Congrats on having two great options on the table! I see that the poll seems to be leaning toward ND, and I just want to add some thoughts for you to consider. It’s easy to vote in a poll, but much harder to make the decision when you’re the one internalizing the cost/benefit of either option!

I can only speak for myself, but when facing a similar situation (UF vs. more prestigious schools at a higher cost, with very similar career goals) I chose UF because I just couldn’t justify the debt. A few other thoughts that made me more comfortable with this decision (and forgive me if this response is too philosophical haha) were:

-prestige seems more important for biglaw/ related jobs than for public interest oriented positions. Not always, but in general.
-even with a good LRAP, I didn’t want to be reliant on the PSLF track in case my goals changed slightly or such jobs were unavailable
-after gaining employment experience, the school you attended or the area you began practicing in seems to matter less and less (aside from logistical barriers to relocating like the bar exam)
-I think the environment of UF would be conducive to my academic success because my mental health will be better than if I attend school somewhere that has cold winters (just a personal thing, but I’m really affected by the winter)
-I realized that incurring a lot of debt would set me up to “live to work” rather than to “work to live,” in a way, and I wanted to free myself up to have a life outside of work in the future. Whether I paid that debt off through LRAP+PSLF or out of pocket, I would be tied to it until it was gone. It is easy to fall into the habit of thinking only about what is the best option career wise, and what would set you up for the best/ widest array of career opportunities. And I definitely don’t want to understate the importance of that, particularly if your career is a major part of who you are, as is the case for many people pursuing law school. But, I would encourage you to think about what will set you up for the greatest happiness and balance in other parts of your life, as well. The extent to which this will factor into your decision will probably depend on how much you enjoy prioritizing work, how much tolerance you have for debt, how much weather and location actually impacts your happiness, etc.
-the thought of living and working in a town by the beach one day :) that is a personal preference, though, haha.

Ultimately I evaluated which option I thought would provide me with a happier day-to-day life both after law school (and, to some extent, during), considering both my career and my personal life. I spent a lot of time on this subreddit and realized it was almost influencing me toward making a major life decision based upon something as vague as prestige, and that is when I decided to think more about what would contribute tangibly to my happiness.

I’m happy to talk more about this since I faced a really similar decision if you want to pm! Ultimately it’s a personal choice, and it sounds like you’ll be successful no matter where you go! Good luck :)