I am having the same problem recently. I want to get a degree in a non-tech-related area, Biological Science, but although there are online options, they are expensive, and this degree in particular has a lot of lab work. I also considered going back to my country, where university is free (but with a tough national exam to enter), but the idea of doing the degree with people 30 years younger doesn't sound exciting to me. So I’m kind of thinking about a risky path: building a curriculum with a reasoning AI model, matching it with textbooks (I don't like classes, I prefer learning from books), and studying by myself while documenting everything, so I could apply for a master’s or PhD later on (the risky part). About the labs, I will talk to some colleges and see if I can attend locally with non-degree credits. Not sure if this will work, but every other option seems worse.
I wonder why there isn't a program for self-taught students that provides validation for their efforts, like exams and access to local labs, but no classes. I believe a lot of older adults would like to go back to school but don't want to be in an environment that hasn’t even been remotely designed with them in mind.
Higher education institutions, like all bureaucracies, exist largely to sustain and validate their own existence. In this hypothetical scenario, if they admitted the masters student who taught themselves an undergrad equivalent with AI, that would be inherently admitting that their own undergrad programs aren't worth it / aren't necessary. They are not incentivized to do this.