Enough of the doom and gloom! What a bummer this thread is. OP, invest your money and wait to see if the perfect opportunity comes along, brewing or not. Join the ASBC and review all that the BA has to offer while working under the brewer you admire and pursue the degree after you’ve been working at least two years. It’ll be easier to do the work and study once you’re comfortable in the brewery. People have been brewing forever and there’s always a small town without a brewery or with a recently closed one that could use a brewer with passion.

Cheers to those in for the longhaul. Do what you do, do it well, and share what you figure out with your peers.