Burned out working 2 jobs. Worth $30k debt to finish MBA in 2 years vs 4 years?
Hey everyone, looking for some strategic advice on my timeline for an MBA at the University of Arizona (Eller).
The Financials:
Total Tuition: $56,000
Current Income: $70,000 (combined from two jobs)
Job 1 Tuition Reimbursement: $3,000 / year
Job 2 Tuition Reimbursement: $10,000 / year
Total Annual Employer Coverage: $13,000 / year
The Dilemma: I’ve been working both of these jobs simultaneously for the last 5 years, and honestly, I am completely exhausted. I'm trying to decide between two paths to finish the program:
Path 1: Finish in 2 Years I would get $26,000 total from my employers ($13K x 2 years) and fund the remaining ~$30,000 balance with student loans. This allows me to graduate much faster, potentially leverage the degree into a single higher-paying role, and finally quit the two-job lifestyle.
Path 2: Stretch over 4 Years I would get $52,000 total from my employers ($13K x 4 years), leaving me with a balance of only ~$4,000 out of pocket. While graduating essentially debt-free sounds ideal on paper, it requires me to commit to staying at both of these current jobs for another 4 years to keep the full reimbursement.
Given how burned out I already am after 5 years of dual employment, is it worth taking on $30k in debt just to buy my time and sanity back two years early? How would you weigh the financial debt vs. the mental toll?