[mothered]

what's even better is that, in IT at least, you can land a job without the education requirement if you have experience/knowlage to back it up. And with the advent of github that is not so hard to prove to employers.

I definitely agree, however many employers In my locality require certifications, Irrespective of one's skill set/knowledge.

They'd rather have someone who's just graduated without experience, than (for example) an Individual like myself who's been In the scene for 30+ years.