Go here for more advice:
https://www.early-retirement.org
In California you can get 50 weeks of unemployment if you go to school instead of 26 weeks. Check out your state.
You cannot take a course too different from your past job. Take Microsoft Office skills as everyone needs them even if you know it all, just say you do not know enough and need improvement.
I knew a guy in my course that tried to take something different from what he had been doing but was turned down for the increase length. He was told you only get one chance at applying.