Is Zakat obligatory on a sum of money that has been accumulated over years for the purpose of university education, and the parents did not pay its Zakat due to their ignorance, and what should be done about that?

The questioner is obligated to pay Zakat (definition) on the amount saved in the bank account if it was given to her as outright ownership and she possessed it. She should obtain an account statement and look at the time when the money reached the Nisab (definition) and a full year passed over it, in order to determine the amount for each year. However, if the saved amount remains under the ownership of the father or the mother, then Zakat is obligatory upon its owner.