I have been contemplating going back to school for a Masters in Education/Reading Specialist and I could use some feedback about whether or not it is worth it. (I have a BA in French and lower elementary Montessori training but no teaching certificate.)

So far my favorite program is $25k, we make a good income (probably too much to qualify for any significant aid) but there is no way we could pay that out of pocket. As a nanny, I don't really have employer subsidies etc. This leaves us with loans.

Loans scare me because we are going to start ttc soon (!) and I would love to be able to sah. Realistically, I will probably need to work part time. If I do the masters program it will eventually let me do tutoring or online teaching part time and potentially from home during hours my dh would be home.

So is it worth it taking a hit to my current income (I would drop down some hours) and taking out huge loans to do this? While this could certainly change, I also don't think I will go back to work full time even after we have kids in school. In my perfect imaginary world I would teach part time from home which would be doable only with this degree. If it were free I would do it in a heartbeat, I just can't decide on the financial side of things.

So what haven't I considered? Any thoughts on how to make the costs more manageable or programs I should look into?

Thanks so much!