Dear Dr. Tightwad:: My daughter was invited to homecoming, but she offered to buy her own ticket (and her date accepted) because she was afraid he couldn't afford it.

I think he should have paid. Am I old-fashioned?Answer - Probably, but so is Dr. T. He (or she) who does the asking should pick up the tab.

Tell your daughter to save her money for group outings, when it's OK to go Dutch.

Dear Dr. Tightwad: My son will start college in September, and I'll need to borrow money to help pay the bill.

Which is a better deal - government-guaranteed loans or a home equity loan? How do I know if I'll qualify for a government loan?

Answer - Don't worry; you'll have plenty of chances to go hip-deep in debt.

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Once you fill out your financial-aid forms, the colleges your son applies to will tell you how much you're expected to pay and how much aid you're eligible for to fill any gap between your contribution and the total cost.

The best deals are Perkins loans, which now carry a fixed rate of 5 percent, and subsidized Stafford loans, for which you pay a variable rate, now around 7 percent with a 9 percent cap.

In each case your son won't owe any interest while he's in school and doesn't have to begin repaying the loan until after graduation.

Even if the financial-aid formulas show you can afford to pay the whole bill, you can still get an unsubsidized Stafford loan. The interest rate is the same and you can defer repayment, but your son will owe interest for the time he's in school.

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