Does the contract require anything besides programming? In particular, do you have to write documentation? A college graduate is a bit more likely to actually be able to do those other things. Unfortunately, most American college graduates can't write. Therefore, requiring a degree doesn't solve their problem. But I wouldn't dismiss the more general value of education. It's just foolish for an employer to assume that a college graduate is educated.

>It's to be expected that employers prefer more formal education when hiring; it's pretty much like that in every field. However, I would definitely agree that, once you've been with a particular employer for a time and have proven your abilities, the no-degree excuse beomes pretty stale. Unfortunately, if they don't ante up, you're back where you started, facing prospective new employers without a degree.
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>> I have been programming in various versions of FoxPro since 1994. I’m employed by a contract company that has me develop software for the Navy in Visual FoxPro 3 & 5. I also maintain and add too existing software written in Version 2.6. I like what I do very much. However, the point at hand is this, I was hired for a lesser salary based purely on my lack of a college degree.
>> Recently, I wanted to test the waters and see what was available in my area for Visual FoxPro developers. An agency contacted me about an opportunity and I sent out my resume which included my last performance evaluation (which I’m proud to say was classified outstanding). At some point my agent contacted me and it was the same story all over again. I wanted to ask her if she would like to work for less money than a male counterpart and perform the same responsibilities. There is a parallel in discrimination here. I would be providing the same service for a company that would offer a higher salary to someone with a degree.
>>I resent that my abilities are undermined because some employers like to use the educational system as a measuring stick to determine an employees worth over that of the verifiable prove of a hard earned and acquired skill.
>>Does anyone agree with me?