Art, I bet you can use your associate to get into a degree program at a university that specializes in distance learning. Depending on their policy, you may even be able to parley your professional experience into 3 credit hours under "Life Experience".

More and more adults are getting degrees through accredited programs using their PCs and an internet connection. I got my master's through a mixed program. I took some 3-weekend classes with homework turned in by email, posting to a university website, fax or snailmail; for some, I commuted to the university and stayed in a motel, and for others, the professor travelled to a satellite location and stayed overnight. The ones which required the students to travel had to do with special collections, practicums using special equipment or locations, and subscription databases with geographically limited licenses. Some were all online. Every Monday night, from 7:00 - 8:30 EST, we had class in a giant chatroom, with blackboard software for posting notes, and a connected BBS for ongoing discussion throughout the week on different threads started by the prof.

I think it's the University of Connecticut that has distance learning programs conducted entirely electronically supported by correspondence by other means. You never have to go farther than your post office, to mail the check. Other universities are going this route too.

Get your degree and stay at home, and let your kids watch you study, go to class and take tests. They'll be so impressed, but they'll never tell you until they're 35 years old. ;)