Investing In My 19 Year Olds Future

My daughter has some learning difficulties. She gave college a try. We all knew going into it college might not be her path but she tried. We helped her get set up with access services, extra time for exams, meetings with a grad student for executive functioning help, etc. She didn’t utilize these services. She got the freshman year experience, learned some life, earned 3 credits. We determined now is not the right time for her to go to college and know there may never be a time. She has about $20k left in her 529. We estimate another $60k in today’s dollars would pay for her to complete a bachelor’s degree at a state school similar to her freshman year. We fully funded her older sister’s bachelor degree.

We would like her to have the option to return to school after some maturity and want to set that $60k aside for her. But knowing she may never go back I don’t think adding it to her 529 is the right move. Investing in her future could mean something else like a down payment on a house or used to start a business or a retirement fund. I don’t really want to put it in a custodial brokerage that she can do anything she’d like with at 21, this should be to help her live a comfortable life.

She had signed a lease while still in school and is currently living in that house with friends while working at Taco Bell and it’s paying her expenses, we still pay her insurance. She works the late night shifts and is asleep while her friends are in class, she is working while they are out having fun. I don’t think she will resign the lease next year and will most likely be returning to live with us. Or she might realize the Taco Bell life isn’t her future and be the motivation needed to return to school. No idea what her future holds.

Any suggestions on what we should do with this $60k? We are looking to retire in the next 1-3 years so want this set aside and growing. Does it make sense to open a brokerage account in my name with her as the beneficiary? If 10 years from now we all agree it should be used for a down payment on a home will it be considered a gift and a create a tax problem? Other options we should consider?