Hi,
age should not be an issue in your decision as to whether to go uni or not. Neither should $ especially if you are able to obtain a loan etc. I know of many who in their 30s and some even 40s returning to uni to get second degree for career switch etc (overseas unis). I know of others who are in their late 20s doing their first degree at NUS NTU. So going to uni later is not really a problem.
There are many advantages in going to uni or poly etc depending on your focus and what you want to do.
Though getting the degree is not a guarantee of a good life (unlike perhaps before) but at least it will get you started somewhere, which is not a bad thing in view of how competitive it is now.
But like all things, half the fun is the journey getting there. I can only speak for myself having gone to uni and not poly, so please no flaming. you will meet alot of very interesting people there, more likely they will be fun and friendly to have around. the friends you make there usually are for keeping for the rest of your life. The experience you gain living in this diverse environment and learning how to learn will equip you to handle new chanllenges ahead. If you approach it from this perspective and not just purely in obtaining a paper thing, you will realise that you will have had a very unique experience that you will almost never be able to replicate anytime anywhere.
In terms of economics, of cos those without that piece of Bsc "Bang shai chua" as some calls it, may still earn as much if not more than a paper holder but the odds are against them not you. I am glad that I went to uni for all the above reasons and more and also looking back now, though the fees etc may seem like a lot, in the scheme of things, you will soon be making back what you put into fees many times over. This is something that you may find hard to acheive if you do not have that leg up.
But make no mistake about it, uni's or poly for that matter isnt easy, it requires you to be determined, to work and never give up. As such I tend to find that FT students tend to stick it to the end more than PT students. if you are thinking of doing it PT, you will need a heck of a lot of discipline and stemina and whole lot of determination to see it to the end. FT is easier in the sense that the momentum just carries them through. Of course there are drop outs in both instances, but I think for every 10 FT and PT students, there are more PT students not completing their studies then FT.
finally the personal satisfaction derived is tremendous. So please if you have the opporunity go as far as you can. you will not regret it and i can say that not many people have regreted it.
oh, dont forget to enjoy the journey getting there

franzx