You're 19 - have you been working and getting paid for it for 1.5 years, or did you just start programming 1.5 years ago? If it's the latter, that's not experience.

Where do you live and what's the cost of a degree there?

Why software engineering and not computer science?

I really think it's worth it given that you're only 19 - you'll learn a lot, it will open many doors (especially if you go to a good university), and you'll get a chance to grow up a bit in your early 20s in an environment that you can't experience otherwise.