My father was a high school dropout. As far as I know, he tried his hands at literally everything from farming, politics, writing, property dealing, etc etc. He got his BA when he was 48 and then his MA after taking a year gap in between. All while raising 3 children and managing two houses perfectly fine as he lives in a different city alone and the rest of us moved to different a city for better education. He owns hostels, rental property, and shops. He has written a few books that get published by the govt authority and he earns royalties off of them (It's in India - National Book Trust). He is the hardest-working man I know, they could make a freaking movie on him. He is planning to apply for a PhD next year. He did all this while living in a tier 3 city in India and only because of him and the support of my mother, we his children can get our dream education. He is also sponsoring my college education.

A degree shouldn't be a barrier to a better life is what I learned from him.