rmn002

Hello Everyone, I am in a bit of a quandery, and I was hoping that their might be someone on this forum who can offer me some advice. I was accepted into Florida International University's history Ph.D. program last month and was nominated for funding - I won't find out the results until sometime in April, and only after I accept their offer of admittance. There were the only program to admit me this cycle (1st time applying for doctoral programs). However, I am currently on the fence as to whether or not I should accept the offer and attend (if I receive funding), or return to my home in southwest Michigan and get a job (either full-time or part-time) to pay down part of my student loan debt. I currently have about 75k to 85k in debts, the majority paying for my M.A. degree. I figure that I would work for 2-5 years, reapplying every so often, and then continue on course for a history Ph.D. Can anyone offer some advice about this? Personal experiences, or similar situations? P.S. I am hoping to work in academia after completing the Ph.D. by the way.