Almost out of highschool, looking at the requirements for programming jobs is terrifying. I can't afford college but almost every job needs a bachelor's. Hoping for a company that sees the value of training from the base level

When i graduated high school over a decade ago i wish someone told me: keep learning and build things that are useful,then you'll have the confidence to work for yourself. Now i do work for myself, and wish i didn't waste the time on the degree. Granted, the degree helped me, become a better problem solver. But I've learned more in the past two years running my own llc.

As another example, my friend is a data analyst and uses vbscript, javascript, and python day to day. He has a biology degree but he taught himself excel, html, vbs, for jobs and now landed a nice technical role. Making more than i do, and i gave him the professional reference to get the job! Education comes in many forms:don't sell yourself short and people will likely see your value.

Training is a huge investment and on top of that I'm sure you'd be wanting to get paid. That's just not tenable for companies. Pick something and don't just learn it use it to make solutions to problems. If you have a solid development portfolio you'll do well and if you understand the concepts and you make it to an interview you'll hold your own.

Tech is one field where you really can get a career without a college degree. I know someone who has 5 yrs exp at a very small tech firm who now is being offered 6 figures. He didn't even finish a year of community college, it was all OTJ training and self study.

Directly mail CEOs of startups you are interested in. They like these kind of things. But be prepared for interviews.

Job reqs are the wish list of the hiring manager. Typically no one realistically expects to find a person who checks all boxes, and if they do that person is usually too qualified for the role.
Typically the hiring decisions, esp. for entry level roles, are based on "do you understand the role?", "do I think you can do what you claim?", and "do I think you're a good fit for the team so I don't have to play hiring games again in 4 months?"
(based on *my* 10+ years of experience in both hiring and being hired, YMWV)

Concentrate on understanding what the role is for, assess your own skills realistically, and demonstrate somehow™ that you're the person for the role. Just because you lack a "BA in CS/MBA/3 years exp." doesn't automatically disqualify you.