grad school update

From a standpoint:

Maryland
Tuition (non-resident): 23,000
Stipend: 27,000
Total: 50,000!
The catch: 20 hours of research aide a week, plus full time classes. Plus full-time summer work.
About it: Reliability, Safety and Quality are the key words to success in today's commercial, industrial and public sector environments. Reliability Engineering perform a wide variety of special management and engineering tasks to ensure that system reliability and quality goals are achieved. These tasks include designing for reliability and maintainability, developing appropriate quality control procedures, and incorporating failure data and failure analysis in program management.
My thoughts: I was thinking of focusing on root-cause failure analysis or probabilistic risk assessment. It combines elements of math, economics, and Engineering. I had really hoped to take some of the reliability courses that the UofA USED to offer. I do like the stipend, but since the cost of living is higher over there, it's necessary. I disapprove of the summer thing, though.

New Mexico
Tuition (non-resident): 8,000
Stipend: 17,000 (or 25,000 the first year?)
Total: 25-33 grand
The catch: work as a grad student teacher (or work in their summer programs for the first year)
About it: It's Math, in new Mexico.
My thoughts: It's not Tucson. But I do love the Southwest. Not as reputable as other schools, but maybe it's the right fit for me?

Arizona- Math
Tuition: 6,500
Stipend: 17,000 (Plus 10000 the first year!)
Total: 23,500
The catch: Absolutely nothing my first year, only pass my Quals! Be a Teacher afterwards.
About it: It's Math, in Arizona.
My thoughts: Nothing against it, but I am mixed about staying in town. The money is nice. The weather hasn't killed me yet.

Arizona- Mech E
Tuition: 6,500
Stipend: 20,000
Total: 26,500
The catch: Work as a part time TA and a part time Research aide (~10 hrs each/week).
About it: Not sure how good an Engineering TA I could be; I barely remember my stuff after I finish the class. If their TA system is like last year's, where they just pool all the TA's into one room, then I might be hard-pressed.
My thoughts: I did talk with one professor on stuff I could work with. He likes that I'm a math major, and I liked that he was Hispanic, and he was working on some cool projects that I could see myself working on.

FINAL VERDICT: TBA