I have a couple of friends going through training right now and the word I heard most was "disorganized". Don't know about the change in $, but my recommendation is to look long-term. You should get through either course without a problem. The issue becomes where you want to be two years from now and, with some luck, how much will you enjoy yourself and your job while you get there.

I've heard a lot of conjecture about both airlines, but I tend to lean towards Mesaba.