Salaries and Firms - DC

I'm deciding between going to Temple, in Philly, with a half-scholarship or George Washington with $9000 a year in grants. I'm most interested in IP (not patent), government, or appellate work. I have no idea where I want to be when I graduate (either NY, Philly or DC) but know I don't want to spend the entirety of my life in Philly. I'm also going to be 31 when I graduate and don't know if I'll want to marry myself to BigLaw.
What are my monthly loan payments going to be like with either choice? And if I go to GW, is it possible to find jobs outside of BigLaw that'll pay the bills? How do jobs with the government pay? Or can I get to DC with a Temple degree?