The illusion of the validity of externally validated titles (neat isn't it? Yeah. I didn't think so either)

When you truly are independent you don't need an externally given title to validate your knowledge. You already know what you know, and if there's any confusion then test your knowledge and prove it to yourself. I think people who are unsure of their knowledge and skills take solace in the title given by some instance years ago. "I'm right because they said so a few years ago." They are doing it only to appear knowledgeable to others, not for the knowledge itself. Sure it might help when you have to convince someone else of your skills and knowledge, but ink on a paper isn't any proof; the actual product of your work is.

Instead of using time building numbers and grades on a paper and getting into debt, I'd rather use that time to build the actual thing that I would be building after receiving the paper and without getting into debt. I'm not going to get myself additional problems, just because people need a verification/subtitles written on a paper of what they are seeing in front of them.

Another thing to consider: money is needed only if you are unable to do something by yourself. If you can build it, why buy it? So appreciation of it is appreciation of ineptness. (Having it doesn't equal to being inept, only the appreciation of it does)