It’s a smart idea for parents to start a college savings fund for their children. If you did this and built up quite a bit of savings, what would you do if your kids decided not to go to college? Would you keep the money or give it to them?

In this story, one mom is facing this exact dilemma, and she doesn’t want to give her daughter the money, at least not yet.

Let’s read all the details.

AITAH for not giving my daughter her college fund money?

My daughter is 17 and is currently in her senior year of high school.

My husband and I have been saving up for her college since she was a newborn and we have almost $200,000 in the account.

But she may not go to college.

She recently told us that she doesn’t want to do the “traditional”route of going to a 4 year college straight out of high school, she wants to take some time off from education and get a job, and figure out if, or when at all, she wants to go to school.

This was fine to me, I support her no matter what path she decides to take.

However, she asked if we could give her the money because she wants to buy a new car amongst other things.

Not gonna happen!

I told her no, because if she does choose to eventually go to school, I still want there to be money left in the account, so I’m going to hold on to it for a bit longer.

She says that she is entitled to the money because it was meant for her, and she should still be able to have it even if she doesn’t want to go to college. AITAH?

If she gives her daughter the money, she’ll be less likely to go to college because she’ll probably spend it all. She should hold onto it. Maybe something like if she starts a career path that is successful and doesn’t involve college she can have it or set an age, like she can get it when she’s 25 or something unless she needs it for college.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This worked out well!

One person points out the error in the daughter’s logic.

Yes, this is exactly what would happen.

Everyone agrees that the mom shouldn’t give her daughter the money.

The money is for college, and that’s that.

If you enjoyed this post, check out what happened when a husband tried to convince his wife that the money she’d saved for her sons’ future should be for his daughter, too.