David P. Allen v. Kimberly W. Allen, 54 N.E.3d 344

David and Kimberly Allen divorced in 2002; their dissolution decree and later agreement did not require parents to pay college expenses initially.
In 2010 the parties agreed Father would pay their daughter Hunter’s undergraduate expenses and basic child support was terminated.
Hunter graduated with honors and was accepted to Indiana University Dental School; Father sought a court order apportioning dental (graduate/professional) school costs between the parents.
Trial court found both parents financially able and ordered Father to pay Hunter’s dental school costs (less Hunter’s own grants/scholarships); Mother appealed arguing the court lacked statutory authority to order payment for graduate/professional education.
The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to decide whether the child-support statute’s use of “postsecondary” includes graduate/professional school expenses.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument (Allen)	Defendant's Argument (Kimberly)	Held
Whether Ind. Code § 31-16-6-2’s allowance for educational support at “postsecondary educational institutions” authorizes courts to order parents to pay graduate/professional school expenses	The term “postsecondary” is broad and includes any education after high school, including graduate/professional school; courts may order parents to share such costs	The statutory term “postsecondary” does not include graduate or professional education; the statute should be read to limit parental obligations to undergraduate/trade programs	“Postsecondary” as used in § 31-16-6-2 does not include graduate or professional school expenses; trial court’s order requiring Father to pay dental school costs was reversed

Pinnacle Properties Dev. Grp., LLC v. City of Jeffersonville, 893 N.E.2d 726 (Ind. 2008) (statutory interpretation reviewed de novo)
State v. I.T., 4 N.E.3d 1139 (Ind. 2014) (plain-meaning rule for unambiguous statutes)
In re Howell, 27 N.E.3d 723 (Ind. 2015) (ambiguous statutes invite judicial construction)
N.D.F. v. State, 775 N.E.2d 1085 (Ind. 2002) (courts will not read into a statute what the legislature did not express)
State Bd. of Accounts v. Indiana Univ. Found., 647 N.E.2d 342 (Ind. Ct. App. 1995) (definitions in one statute may inform construction in another)
Turner v. Turner, 983 N.E.2d 643 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013) (discussing legislative changes lowering presumptive termination age for child support)