Funded MA vs. Partially Funded MPP

[nightjars]

Despite my attempts to be somewhat cryptic, you can deduce very easily from my signature which schools I'm referencing. But here's the scoop:

School A - Mid-ranked state school with plenty of research activity. I was accepted into the M.A. Urban Affairs & Public Policy program with a specialization in environmental policy, but the program recently underwent curriculum changes and no longer formally offers that concentration. I've been assured by faculty & administrators that this will not affect my ability to focus on environmental issues or find research opportunities. But I'm definitely a bit skeptical. The research center which initially drew me to the school also experienced departmental changes and is moving to a different school. After meeting with the director, I was told I wouldn't be able to get an assistantship with them until 2nd year (not guaranteed). A lot of the faculty received their degrees from this school, and a lot of the alumni work at the state level, so I'm concerned about this "bubble" effect.

The big draw: Full funding and a decent RA stipend which would not require me to take out any loans. The assistantship is with a research agency that is somewhat relevant to my interests but not the best match.

School B - Very highly regarded state school with an excellent reputation for undergrads. Their MPP program, however, is less well-known and is very small (ie: < 25 class size). The curriculum is rigorous with emphasis on econ and quant methods courses, which I like (although I was an English/rhetoric major). I received no funding for tuition but did receive a $10k assistantship (10hrs/week); however, I won't know my specific assignment until late summer. It could be anything from bland administrative work to research assignments. I would have to take out $25-30k (total) in loans, and I do have $7k in student loans from undergrad. I'm very uncomfortable taking out loans for graduate school, although I realize I have very little debt currently. I really like this program, but it's relatively young and the small size limits tracking alumni achievements. Overall the school's name carries a lot of weight though and is easily recognizable. Most alumni have gone on to federal gov't jobs or private sector gigs. I like that it's an MPP degree instead of an M.A., as I feel the MPP is becoming more familiar to employers as a professional degree.

Thoughts?