<p>The ethicist says yes, you can ethically ask.</p>
<p>My ethics are that I wouldn’t ask and allow the older one to keep his savings without guilt and have a discussion with the younger one about going to a more expensive private or less expensive public. I liked how in Its a Wonderful Life George Bailey stays at home in Bedford Falls so his younger brother can go off to college and have an exciting life…but George got that idea himself, not his mom. </p>
<p>I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be major tension in the household after the parent asks S1 to give S2 $100,000 so S2 can go to a fancy-schmansy school…</p>