While a college degree can potentially signify you've gained the foundation for doing a job. Real-life experience will ensure employers you have gained the foundation and on the job experience to get the job done successfully.
Albert Einstein said “The only source of knowledge is experience”.
Please don't get me wrong, a degree is important for hard core science based forensic disciplines- toxicology, DNA analysis, etc.... However, Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) is about evidence documentation, collection and preservation of evidence at a crime scene. Latent Examiner and Firearm Examiner disciplines are impression evidence examinations. Humans use the tools and equipment to render an opinion versus and computer/machine.
I know many with degrees who do not have the cognitive skills to perform the forensic tasks at hand and was hired purely based on their degree.
To ensure your department is hiring the right person for your forensic discipline you can always substitute years of experience versus a degree.
Prevent employers from missing out on a huge section of the forensic talent pool, remove unnecessary degree requirements. People without degrees have skills learned through on-the-job training. This creates a more creative culture, leading to improved problem solving and idea generation, as well as facilitating skills and knowledge sharing.