A degree may feed you in the short term, but you want to be a pilot. Nobody knew what would happen after Sept 11, 2001, but after many furloughs and tough times, there was a hiring boom. You would want to be prepared for such a boom and be competitive. I still maintain that a bachelor degree is plenty for a major airline. Take a chance and get involved in the industry, talk to people in GA and airlines, make connections, get an instructor rating or fly freight. Flying is a confidence game, not a matter of who has a PhD or high school certificate.