I would disagree with that completely, 3d artistsanimators come from all walks of life and not all of them have degrees, what employers look for varies but most require that you have a raw talent that can be nurtured and directed towards meeting their goals. E.g I know a successful 3d artist; old friend from school, No degree and employed in the industry almost 3 months after leaving school - why? - because he was amoungst the best at what he did. If you have talent you will go far, with or without a diploma, and once you get your foot in the door thats when you can start cementing your networking skills.