I get the idea of not going into debt for a paper to prove your skills. However, the article author mentions his employer offering courses. Unfortunately most employers don't offer those services and will still only hire with a degree and X years of experience. So we're still in the same boat as before.
As someone who couldn't afford to finish college, I know this problem inside and out. I have skills that I can't prove, so I've been told I wouldn't get hired, all because of a piece of paper that proves it. Until there's a better alternative, most will still run into this problem.