The decision for you to go on to a regional is your choice and your choice alone. If the airlines are advertising commercial mins, that is the airline's choice as well. No one is forcing anyone to go one direction or another. Obviously there are some risks involved with this, but again, this is something you will have to decide for yourself.

I am in the same position as you: I am graduating next spring. I have, however, basically eliminated TSA from my list. TSA routinely comes to my university once every semester and gives a presentation followed by an interview session. 250/25 is their advertised mins. Their recruitment presentation is straight-forward and they tell us up-front: "We aren't going to lie. Our airline is a stepping stone. You get in and get out. You don't retire here. It keeps the costs down low." They also added: "We aren't the best regional, but we aren't the worst". TSA waves the quick upgrade time around a lot (1.5 years?). I'm not sure if I believe that is more of a good thing.

They give you a total of $800 in housing allowance in several increments during training in St. Louis. It is up to you to find your housing (they can help with finding "affordable" housing - crashpads). That didn't appeal to me after my friend going through training at Pinnacle said they are put up in a hotel paid by the company.

As for the training process the recuiters said that part 61 guys often have a harder time because they are not used to the intense studying. He gave the example that some guys that are hired from a 61 background show up without all of their memory items memorized, lack the study habits, etc. that 141 university guys develop well through cohort competition. I'm sure this doesn't apply to every 61 or 141 guy out there. He may have been saying that just to blow smoke up our asses. I dunno. Everyone is different, but I think the university experience may help in that respect.

If you can fit the battle, you will be a champ. Good luck.