Question:
Is it permissible to partially pay for sleepaway camp for a teenage daughter with maaser money. Especially because of Coronavirus, it is evident that she really needs to get away. No scholarships are being offered by the camp at this time, understandably. If she does not go away, there really is nothing at all for her locally, so it will mean basically staying home. She is not at-risk nor is there anything wrong with her, but she did have a more than a difficult year. We have signed her up already, but it will be a tremendous strain on us financially. We signed her up because we felt we had no choice.
Answer:
You can use maaser money for the camp since you are dםing it for her benefit and not just for your own convenience. The part of the fee that is for food, etc, which you will be saving because she is there, should not be from maaser money, because this is a personal expense that you would have paid anyway. .
Sources:
Avnei Yoshpe 3- 88-4, Poskim
