Her father paid her university fees, then the university returned the fees as a prize to her; does her father have the right to take them?
Question

                I am a student who is excelling at university, and the university gave me a prize as a reward for my achievements. My father asked me to use it to pay for my university fees, then he changed his mind and did not mention the prize-money again as he had asked me to do. Then it became clear to me that this prize-money is like the university returning to us the money that we had paid in fees. I thought it was only honest to tell my father, but when I told him he said that it is his money, but I think that it is mine, because the university returned it because of my doing well. There is also a contract between me and the university to the effect that this is in return for something: for every year that they return the fees, I will work in the university or the government, in any job and in any location they choose. If I do not accept this, then I have to return the money. So I have worked very hard to get this prize, and I have made a commitment to the university in return for the money. I do intend to give my father the money, but please note that he is not in need, because he owns property worth one million dinars, whereas I have no money apart from this prize, and I want to complete my graduate studies that my father said he will sponsor me for until I complete them.
Praise be to Allah.
    If the matter is as you say, that your father promised to pay 
    the university fees, then he decided not to ask you to give him the prize 
    that will be given to you, then it became clear that the prize was no more 
    than returning the university fees, then this prize belongs to you and what 
    your father paid previously was a gift with no intention of asking for it 
    back. This is in addition to the fact that you state that the prize is in 
    return for future work. 

    But we should point out that the father has the right to take 
    from the wealth of his child – male or female – whatever he needs, without 
    harming the child, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah 
    be pleased with him), according to which a man said: O Messenger of Allah, I 
    have wealth and a son, and my father wants to take all my wealth. He said, 
    “You and your wealth belong to your father.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2291; 
    Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 2/142, from the hadeeth of Jaabir; Ahmad, 
    6902 from the hadeeth of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr. 

    Ahmad narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb from his father that his 
    grandfather said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) and said: My father wants to take all of my 
    wealth. He said: “You and your wealth belong to your father. The best of 
    what you consume is what you yourself have earned and the wealth of your son 
    is part of your earnings, so consume it joyfully.” 

    It has several isnaads and corroborating evidence that makes 
    it saheeh. 

    See: Fath al-Baari, 5/211; Nasab ar-Raayah, 
    3/337 

    But this is subject to conditions that were laid out by the 
    scholars: 

    1.The father should not be unfair 
    to the son or harm him, or take anything that he needs.

    2.He should not take from the 
    wealth of one son and give it to another son.

    3.The father should be in need of 
    the wealth; it is not permissible for him to take that which he does not 
    need, according to the majority of fuqaha’, apart from the Hanbalis, because 
    of the report narrated by al-Haakim (2/284) and al-Bayhaqi (7/480) from 
    ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Your children are a gift 
    from Allah to you, ‘He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and 
    bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills’ [ash-Shoora 42:49], so they 
    and their wealth belong to you if you need it.” Classed as saheeh by Shaykh 
    al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, 2564

    Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The father 
    may take from his son’s wealth whatever he wants and it becomes his, whether 
    the father needs what he takes or not, and whether the child is a minor or 
    an adult, subject to two conditions:

    1.That he is not unfair to his 
    child and does not harm him, and he does not take anything that his son 
    needs

    2.and that he does not take from 
    the wealth of one son and give it to another.

    Abu Haneefah, Maalik and ash-Shaafa‘i said: He does not have 
    the right to take from the wealth of his son except as much as he needs, 
    because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Your 
    blood and your wealth are sacred to one another, as sacred as this day of 
    yours, in this month of yours.” Agreed upon. And it was narrated that the 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not 
    permissible (to take) the wealth of a Muslim unless he gives it willingly.” 
    Narrated by ad-Daaraqutni. And because the son has full possession of his 
    own property, so it is not permissible to take it from him.

    End quote from al-Mughni, 5/395 

    You stated that your father is not in need; based on that, it 
    is not permissible for him to take anything from your wealth except with 
    your consent. 

    We appreciate your intention to give the money to your 
    father, because this comes under the heading of honouring him and treating 
    him kindly. We ask Allah to compensate you with good.  

    And Allah knows best.