School vs. Self Taught

I realize most folks are here because they are or are wanting to make money off their own websites and this is a fantastic forum for tips and info (it really is - helped me learn so much over the last year or so). I'm moving to another state and I need a j.o.b. Unfortunately, while I did manage to get my little farm website up over 2k unique visitors per month, and went from a PR of n/a to 1 in six months, the farm has been foreclosed upon, and I'm no longer hosting that site. What I did get was a taste for doing SEO and online marketing/writing and that's what I want to do for a living.

I imagine that over time, I can build up an arsenal of killer websites that might actually support my family and feed my interests. But until then, I've got to feed the kids and have health insurance. Unfortunately, most folks want experience AND education for SEO related jobs. So if you work in SEO for someone else, how did you get there? Did you get a degree? Did you self teach? Did you do online certifications? Help me figure out how to get there so I can have some pocket change left over for running my personal money-making sites. Thanks!