Your story brings back memories when I went to Riddle ages ago. Back then it was expensive, cant imagine what it costs now.
Many students were enrolled in a program called Aeronautical Studies. It was basically all the same courses as Aeronautical Science without participating in the ERAU flight program.
I as many others saved tons of money by going across the ramp to other flight schools for the flight training, back then it was Northern Aviation? and Custom pilot service. It was much faster and cheaper. ERAU was losing money hand over fist so they dumped Aeronautical studies degree for future students.
My 5 cents is unless a person has a full ride scholarship to ERAU is to go get flight training from another place cheaper and faster. Airlines do not care if the four year degree came from ERAU or a local University. They want flight time.