Previous place I have worked had a strong 'degree-holders-only' policy, but made an exception at least 3 times I can remember for exceedingly strong candidates

Previous place I have worked had a strong 'degree-holders-only' policy, but made an exception at least 3 times I can remember for exceedingly strong candidates who demonstrated high levels of skill. If you're good enough, and you have a body of work to prove it, you don't need a degree.