Dear Prudence,
My son left my wife and me during high school to live with his mother, while his sisters stayed with us. My ex was an alcoholic who sobered up enough to pass court inspection. She let my son have overnight visits with his girlfriend, among other indulgences. There was no court order to pay for college, but I have done so for my oldest daughter. My son is another story. He got into a state university and failed out. My terms were that he come home—his mother’s or mine—and pass community college before I paid another dime or paid back his existing loans. He and his mother took me to court and lost. It burned a lot of bridges. My son, after months of silence, has told me he has enrolled again in higher education—but he has not apologized. I don’t know how to take this. My wife is unhappy but supportive. My daughters are not on speaking terms with their mother because of her alcoholism. This is my only son. How do I respond?
—College Funding