Robb, C.J.
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In Indiana, a child support order and an educational support order are separate and distinct. Knisely v. Forte, 875 N.E.2d 335, 340 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007). Here, the trial court refused to enter an educational support order for college expenses due to C.E.’s repudiation of Father. Repudiation is not a defense, however, to an order for child support, Bales, 801 N.E.2d at 199, and the trial court found that Father was obligated to pay child support through July 1, 2012. [Footnote omitted.] The trial court’s child support calculation for the time C.E. was in college required Father to pay child support throughout the year, even though C.E. only lived with Mother for sixteen weeks of the year. Father argues that this vitiates the trial court’s repudiation ruling, because by requiring him to pay child support for the time his son was living on campus, he was in essence contributing to his son’s college expenses. Whether a child support order should be reduced for the time a child is living on campus when a court has found that the child has repudiated the non-custodial parent, and on that basis refused to enter an educational support order, is an issue of first impression.
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We hold that living expenses for a child living on campus should similarly not be included in the child support order when, as here, the child has repudiated the parent and the parent is therefore not required to contribute to the child’s post-secondary education. To hold otherwise would render repudiation no longer a complete defense to the payment of college expenses. We do not adopt a bright-line rule requiring the filing of both a child support obligation worksheet and a post-secondary education support worksheet because no educational support order has been entered. Cf. Child Support Guideline 8(c) (the post-secondary education worksheet along with the child support obligation worksheet “must be filed with the court” when both a child support order and educational support order are entered). But the trial court must reduce child support for the time the child will be living away from home for college. Cf. Lechien, 950 N.E.2d at 847 (holding that the non-custodial parent was required to pay child support year round, despite the child’s repudiation, because the child lived at home and not on campus). Because the trial court erred in its child support calculation, we reverse its order modifying child support and remand with instructions to re-calculate child support so that Father does not pay child support for the time C.E. was living on campus.
Conclusion
The trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying Mother’s request for contribution from Father towards C.E.’s college expenses based on its finding that C.E. repudiated Father. However, the court erred in its child support calculation by requiring Father to pay child support for the time C.E. was living on campus. Accordingly, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with instructions to the trial court to re-calculate child support in a manner consistent with this opinion.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.
FRIEDLANDER, J., and CRONE, J., concur.