Up until pretty recently, I was unemployed and I also wanted a career change for similar reasons (although I'm in my 20s). I was broke, so going to school wasn't an option (plus I applied to a couple universities anyways and got rejected or waitlisted, I assume because of my age).
The economy is so messed up right now that the only jobs I found that didn't require a degree or several years of prior experience were hard labour for minimum wage. Even McDonald's apparently requires 3 years of experience.
So, my advice would be that school is expensive, wages are low, and if you're in a spot where you can reasonably get a decent paying job, you should take advantage of that. (as much as I would love to work in an industry that isn't the total shitshow that software is right now)
The economy is so messed up right now that the only jobs I found that didn't require a degree or several years of prior experience were hard labour for minimum wage. Even McDonald's apparently requires 3 years of experience.
So, my advice would be that school is expensive, wages are low, and if you're in a spot where you can reasonably get a decent paying job, you should take advantage of that. (as much as I would love to work in an industry that isn't the total shitshow that software is right now)