I have to sound a bit condescending here, but that's the opinion of an 18-year-old with a limited outlook on things.
First of all, i don't know of too may "wasteful B.A."s out there. Most likely you'd count philosophy in with them, won't you?
Second, and that's more important: Photography is quite a large subject that does not only include aesthetics, but also physics and mechanical engineering. On top of that, there are different skill sets needed depending on what kind of photographer one wants to become.
Saying you "don't need to go to uni to learn photography" most of all shows that you don't know too much about the job. If by "photography" you mean "doing boring passports, portraits and wedding jobs" you're most likely right, no need to go to uni for that. You'll need only a total of three lenses, two lightning setups and enough photoshop to stamp the pimples from the bride's face to do just this. Will make you steady money and hate your life.