Our STL has no degree and isn't working on one. Our ETL-AP has no degree. I think he is taking classes but no degree yet.
You "THINK" he is taking classes but no degree yet. How do you know he doesn't already have one degree and is taking classes for another degree or more advanced degree like a masters? Just because he is taking classes doesn't mean he doesn't already have on degree, assuming he is even taking classes because you "think" that is what he is doing.
That's the problem here - all the people saying "Oh well my STL has no degree and he is an STL!" don't really KNOW what they actually have. You are just saying what you THINK they have or are doing.
Many people don't like bragging to people about having a degree. (FYI - going around telling or bragging to people you have a degree is not normal behavior, and many people could consider it rude) Some people simply don't think it is others business what level of education they have and will deny having a degree to avoid talking about it. I once worked with a TL who straight up told me once he didn't have any education beyond high school. About a few months after he got hired, he turned in his two weeks because he got a job as a professor at a university. Turned out he actually had a PhD. (the highest degree a person can get) When I asked him why he told me he didn't have anything beyond high school, he told me he couldn't risk people finding out because he had lied on his employment application about his education because he hadn't been able to get a job because employers were telling him he was overqualified. The fact is, unless you have direct access to a persons educational records you really don't know what they have.
But you know what guys? Go ahead and work really really really really hard so you can move up to ETL, because just like your ETL told you - all you need is hard work to become an ETL. Sure you can be an ETL with no degree. Or like you say buckwill, you can even be an STL with no degree! All you need is hard work. 10 years from now, when you are still busting your ass for that direct TM to STL promotion that you have coming because of your hard work, I'm sure your ETLs will tell you that the problem is that you haven't worked quite hard enough..... and that if you work just a litttllleee bit harder that STL promotion is going to be yours, in fact they may even tell you that you are working so hard all you need is a little more effort and in maybe 1 more year you'll move up to DTL!
(I am absolutely amazed how well carrot and stick management works..... whoever came up with this is probably a very rich person....)