Back to School

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It's hard to believe something as small as a peanut could cause so much controversy. But put it in a lunch bag and it can divide a school.

In Viola, Arkansas, a debate is heating up, after a student had his peanut butter and jelly sandwich confiscated at lunchtime. The school has a no-peanut-products policy due to a few students with allergies, so the teacher helped the little boy get a new lunch and sent home a note explaining the situation to his mom.

Related: A Surprising Reason Why Kids Are Shorter

That note didn't go over well, apparently. Soon after the incident, a "School Nut Ban Discussion" group was launched on Facebook by parents conflicted over the policy.

Some parents believe allergy-free students shouldn't have to cater to a few kids' health sensitivities, particularly if it means cutting out healthy or low-cost snacks packed in their own child's lunchbox.

The mom who packed the confiscated PB&J sandwich thinks kids with allergies should learn "how to manage the problem" rather than live inside a "bubble," according to a local news report.

Other parents of special needs kids feel like they're playing second fiddle to those with allergies. "There are some autistic children that will only eat a PB&J sandwich or nothing at all," one parent opposing the ban argued on Facebook. According to the Viola District Superintendent John May, this is the first push-back on a policy in place in his school for some time.

"The policy is in place to protect those with a severe, life threatening problem," May told Area Wide News, a Missouri-based news site. "Until we figure out something else, it would be foolish to drop the policy."

Keep reading to learn more about this lunch staple controversy.

Paying for college can be a tricky financial situation, but Business Insider shares a way to put away money for college tuition.

What might be the most accessible and simplest way to save for college — a 529 savings plan — is typically one of the most widely misunderstood financial tools among consumers.

That all might be changing, however, given a new report by the College Savings Plans Network.

Related: Parents Are Using Rewards Credit Cards to Help Pay For College

Contributions to 529 plans have reached record growth levels, with a total of $179 billion saved in 11 million open accounts so far this year.

Growth has doubled since the same period last year, from $7.43 billion to $14.16 billion in new assets, the group says. The average account holds about $16,300.

This is exciting news and most likely a result of soaring tuition costs that look unlikely to drop anytime soon. A 529 plan is a simple tool parents or relatives can use to tuck away a college nest egg for high school graduates to use on related expenses after enrolling.

If you're in need of a 529 savings plan refresher, here's what you need to know:

What it is: In short, a 529 plan is a tax-free savings fund that can be set up for anyone heading to college. There are two main types: a prepaid tuition plan (the only kind higher education institutions can offer) and a savings fund, according to the College Savings Plan Network. Head over to CSPN's site to try their handy tool to compare the benefits of various plan features.

Read on for more.

Buying college textbooks is one part of back-to-school season we could do without; the rest, like catching up with friends and scoping out new school gadgets, can stay. With the accessibility of digital textbooks, high book prices and back strain from lugging heavy books around campus are happily becoming a distant memory. Give your wallet a break with these e-textbook resources:

• Kindle Textbook Rentals — Amazon's Kindle textbook service allows students to rent for only the time needed, whether it's 30 days for a report or a full year for a class. Books can be accessed on a PC, Mac, Kindle, iOS, Android mobile device, and BlackBerry. Notes made by the student in the text can be used even when the rental period has ended.
• NOOKStudy — Similar to the Amazon Kindle textbook platform, NOOKStudy is available for Macs and PCs. In addition to paid textbooks, Barnes & Noble offers over one million free digital books. Rental options are also available.
• iBooks Textbooks — Introduced in early 2012, Apple's partnership with top educational publishers offers hundreds of interactive textbooks for $15 or less.
• Kno — Buy or rent over 70,000 textbooks with this iPad app. Features let you organize supplemental class PDF readers into the app and ask questions of friends reading the same book.

Three more paper textbook alternatives after the break.

College is a great goal for many students in their academic careers, but the thought of paying is not so fun. Kiplinger shares a few points to keep in mind when paying for college.

You've heard the stories about students who borrow $40,000, $60,000, $100,000 to get a college degree and discover upon graduation that the monthly payments are way too high to manage. And then there are parents who stretch to the breaking point to send their kid to a school they can't afford.

Unrealistic expectations, and the thrill of acceptance letters, can impel families to make decisions that may not only hurt their children's future but also impair their own. According to a recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 10 percent of new grads have monthly loan payments that consume more than 25 percent of their income, and default rates have soared since 2008. Even more depressing, the New York Federal Reserve recently reported that more than two million people ages 60 and older are still paying down student debt.

You — and your kids — can avoid that fate if you steer clear of the mistakes that trip up families when they’re paying for college.

Read on for more.

Choosing a major in college can be stressful, but how important is your course of study? LearnVest shares when majors matter and when they don't with regard to the job market.

As the fall semester starts, one question will undoubtedly be lobbed at millions of college students across the nation: What are you majoring in?

And then, the cringe-inducing follow-up: What are you gonna do with a degree in anthropology/zoology/religious studies/medieval history?

The question is especially timely: With student loan debt in the United States climbing over $1 trillion and the job market still sputtering, choosing a major seems increasingly important as students contemplate how they will pay off those looming loans.

Read on for more about the importance of majors.

It's time for another Instagram photo challenge! We're celebrating back-to-school season and want to see what you've been snacking on during your hectic days. Grab your iPhone or Android, snap a photo of your favorite healthy snack, and upload the pic to Instagram. Make sure to caption your photo with the hashtag #FitSugar; we'll grab our favorite shots from the upcoming week and share them with you here on the site. If you can't wait to see what pics readers are submitting, just search #FitSugar via the Instagram app.

Make sure to follow FitSugar on Instagram (username: FitSugar) for daily fitness inspiration and tips. Also, keep an eye out to see what snacks our own editors are enjoying!

With school back in session and September in full swing, we've got our minds set on giving the tired brown bag a major face-lift. Thank goodness we're not in on this alone: Food Network's brought together some of the country's top food outlets for a virtual back-to-school lunch. From chard turnovers to French country tuna sandwiches, this meal's got it all — and each recipe is one that you can re-create yourself at home.

At Sugar HQ office kitchen, we think there's nothing better than a fully-loaded turkey club sandwich, and this recipe — which is loaded with bacon, cheddar, and avocado — is by far our favorite. See what the rest of our friends are bringing to the table when you read more.