programming jobs without degree

[nuzzle]

Experience is more important than a degree,

That's not true. Graduates also get experience and experience is much more valuable if it's on top of a thorough theoretical understanding of what you're doing. Fumbling in the dark without knowing nada is also an experience but not a very good one. By trial and error you will learn what buttons to push eventually but you'll never know why it works and if it couldn't be done better.

Graduation gives you a jump-start and an accelerated learning curve with experience that no one without a degree can ever match (except maybe for a few geniuses).

The notion that "experience is more important than a degree" is a myth carefully guarded by people who wished they had one. It's just a way to deal with an inferiority complex. They realize what they're missing and would give their right hand to have it.

So if you want to tilt the wheel of fortune firmly in your favour - get a degree!