Tuition under financial hardship — disputed
Where a family truly cannot cover tuition from regular funds, some authorities permit drawing on maaser; others do not. This is a genuine dispute — consult your rav before tagging tuition payments.
Positions by community
Ashkenazi
R' Yitzchak Blazer and others permit paying tuition from maaser for children above roughly age six where the parent genuinely cannot afford it otherwise; R' Moshe Feinstein's stricter view treats tuition as an absolute obligation not payable from maaser.
Sephardi
The lenient view may be relied upon under genuine hardship, consistent with the minhag classification.
Chabad
Chabad-oriented sources permit using maaser to facilitate Torah education costs that are otherwise unaffordable; ask your rav.
Sources
- https://baishavaad.org/maaser-for-tuition/ — Ma'aser for Tuition
- https://vinnews.com/2020/08/25/can-we-count-some-yeshiva-tuition-as-maaser/ — Can We Count Some Yeshiva Tuition As Maaser?
Track this for yourself
Tag transactions against rules like this one and see your running maaser balance.
MyMaaser presents sourced halachic positions and is not a substitute for your rav. Consult your rav (CYLOR).