Ask HN: Your thoughts on returning to college to “refresh” a career?

I'm curious as to how much it helps, in particular for a software engineer. A bit about me. I'm 35, male, unemployed and unmarried (so I don't have much financial backing) and don't live in a tech hub. I went to a fairly standard state school for a non-STEM degree to get into web development.

Now I know web development can have the potential to provide a stable, well-paying career. I have not seen this much in my experience. I've only been contracted by very small companies for putting out fires, or for projects that they don't want their "core" employees to work on. These places underpay a lot to contractors, and do not make any permanent job offers to me. My professional network is also weak. Nobody I know is looking to hire software developers. I think my reputation works against applying to large companies.

As for my goals, it is to work in high-performance computing, in particular with aerospace. My example: adaptive resolution grids for fluid simulations. My reality: CRUD apps and CMS websites for small-med business clients.

Obviously good experience and talent can overcome that, but that's a lot easier said than done. I did not receive a lot of good experience, and see myself as a mediocre developer. So what are your thoughts about returning to college and doing it "the proper way"?

The plan is getting a CS degree at a better school, get one or more internships from reputable tech companies, build connections with people from those companies, and receive full-time job offers. There are a few stated theories made about the hiring pipelines of many of these companies, giving new grads an ironic strength.