You're getting a lot of good advice in this thread, but here is something else to consider: you may feel committed to front-end engineering now, but have the wisdom to understand that you are young and have a lot of new experiences ahead of you. When I graduated high school, I made the decision to go straight into the workforce as you are considering doing. I had no trouble finding work. (Though I second what others are telling you: some avenues WILL be closed to you if you have no college degree -- not all, and not necessarily the ones you want, but some.) What I began to realize, though, is that, as much as I loved coding, I didn't want to structure my life in a way in a way that locked me into one thing so early. Among its many other benefits, college is a great opportunity to take a step back, learn widely, and, at the least, become a more well rounded human being, but quite possibly you will also discover that there is something out there you love more. It's not impossible to change your mind, and go back to college later if you want to. But it's much easier, and you'll have a better experience, if you do it now.
My personal tale, in a nutshell, is that I went to college after a few years working (nothing wrong with taking a few years to try it out, as others have mentioned) and studied philosophy, of all things. Now I'm a telecommunications/media/first amendment lawyer. Life is funny -- and, more to the point, full of surprising possibilities. Don't shut them out.
On another point, you should not have to take out $50-100,000 in loans for college. There are programs out there that are worth that much, but not many. I graduated from a top-tier university with a grand total of $4,500 in debt, without a cent of financial aid. Go to a public school, and work your way through. If you're capable of going straight into the workforce out of high school, you are capable of working your way through a public university as well. If you live in one of the few states with no state university worth going to, move yourself to California, Virginia, Texas, or Michigan. Work for a few years to earn your resident status, then enjoy the wonders of an elite, public-school education.
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You're getting a lot of good advice in this thread, but here is something else to consider: you may feel committed to front-end engineering now, but have the wisdom to understand that you are young and have a lot of new experiences ahead of you. When I graduated high school, I made the decision to go straight into the workforce as you are considering doing. I had no trouble finding work. (Though I second what others are telling you: some avenues WILL be closed to you if you have no college degree -- not all, and not necessarily the ones you want, but some.) What I began to realize, though, is that, as much as I loved coding, I didn't want to structure my life in a way in a way that locked me into one thing so early. Among its many other benefits, college is a great opportunity to take a step back, learn widely, and, at the least, become a more well rounded human being, but quite possibly you will also discover that there is something out there you love more. It's not impossible to change your mind, and go back to college later if you want to. But it's much easier, and you'll have a better experience, if you do it now.
My personal tale, in a nutshell, is that I went to college after a few years working (nothing wrong with taking a few years to try it out, as others have mentioned) and studied philosophy, of all things. Now I'm a telecommunications/media/first amendment lawyer. Life is funny -- and, more to the point, full of surprising possibilities. Don't shut them out.
On another point, you should not have to take out $50-100,000 in loans for college. There are programs out there that are worth that much, but not many. I graduated from a top-tier university with a grand total of $4,500 in debt, without a cent of financial aid. Go to a public school, and work your way through. If you're capable of going straight into the workforce out of high school, you are capable of working your way through a public university as well. If you live in one of the few states with no state university worth going to, move yourself to California, Virginia, Texas, or Michigan. Work for a few years to earn your resident status, then enjoy the wonders of an elite, public-school education.