@aussiemom- I don’t think that someone can’t enlist as a NCO if they have a college degree. Why would that be the case? Not everyone is officer material. Even with a college degree. I think he probably finished his on line while in the army (they have remote education programs).
** Update: just looked it up— People enlisting in the army with a college degree go in as a E4- the highest NCO ranking. They are still not commissioned. They are NCOs.