Dear Prudence,
Recently I unexpectedly inherited a rather large sum of money, and I want to pay some of it forward. I have a niece who is smart, hard-working, and driven—unlike her brothers. I would like to help her out with her tuition when she graduates high school. My problem that if I offer directly I know it will cause a ruckus. My sister is a grasping, greedy woman—she has begged money from me for years to pay bills, only to turn around and spend it on herself. My nephews are either in jail or mooching off the rest of the family. I have tried to help them in the past. I got one nephew a job at the company I work for, but he never bothered to show up. I have bought groceries for them, only for my sister to return them for cash. If I tell my niece or anyone about the money it will get back to my sister and she will manipulate my niece right out of her tuition. I don’t want to put my niece in that position. Should I lie and tell it is a private scholarship or contact the university directly? I would like to help her the way my teacher helped me but I have learned the hard way you mention money to my sister before she is thinking of a way to scam it out of your hand. Please advise.