He seemingly lives to program but has struggled with college, especially on the timed tests, even though he feels he knows the material. Because of this, he just feels like his goal of getting a degree and then a career is becoming unobtainable. He’s always said he just wants a mentor or something who could appreciate his work and help him along with being a better developer.
I guess what I’d like to know is: are there any non-untraditional avenues for getting a degree and getting into the industry?
I wasn't a fan of exams and deadlines either and consistently goofed off, but I got into a research lab doing odd jobs for profs/grad/phd students which slowly turned into full time lab work. The profs I worked for gave me enough independent credits for the work I did there, to coast through.
He is right in that mentors and the right/encouraging environment is crucial for learning. I learnt more in those labs than in any classroom. And he should actively go look for those mentors/environments and prove to them his interests are genuine. Good things will happen but he has to do that work.
You can read about some non-degree holders in the industry here: https://www.nocsdegree.com/
I'm not saying it's easy. There's a vast amount to know and master, and it will require a lot of practice building things to get the skills required. Not to mention study to get through the hiring hoops of algorithmic problems candidates are expected to solve at major companies during interviews.
Looking at the root cause might help him in college and with his career.