South Carolina Retirement Systems - PORS Service Purchase Types of Service

		PORS - Active Members Types of Service Convert Class I to Class II Service Transfer from SCRS to PORS Public Service Educational Service Military Service Leave of Absence Workers’ Compensation Previously Withdrawn Service Non-Qualified Service State ORP Service Convert Class I to Class II If you are a PORS member who still has Class I service, you may convert your Class I service to Class II service by paying 5 percent of your current earnable compensation for each year to be converted less $16 per month for each month converted. Transfer from SCRS to PORS If you are an active member of PORS, you may transfer your non-concurrent SCRS service credit to your PORS account by paying 5 percent of your current earnable compensation for each year transferred. Your SCRS contributions plus interest and non-concurrent service credit are then transferred to your PORS account. SCRS earned service that is transferred to PORS is considered earned service for the required five years earned service, when applicable. Earnings that are associated with the service that is transferred from SCRS to PORS are not included in the calculation of your average final compensation. Public Service You may establish service credit for any period of paid public service for which you do not already have service credit in another defined benefit plan from which you may receive an annuity. Public service constitutes service as an employee of the government of the United States, a state, or political subdivision of the United States. The cost is 16 percent of current earnable compensation or career highest fiscal year earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for each year purchased. Educational Service (K-12) You may establish service credit for any period of paid classroom teaching consisting of grades kindergarten through 12 in a public, private, or sectarian school for which you do not already have service credit in another defined benefit plan from which you may receive an annuity. The cost is 16 percent of current earnable compensation or career highest fiscal year earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for each year purchased. Military Service You may establish up to six years of service credit for any period of military service for which you do not already have service credit. This includes service in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Select Reserves, and Army or Air National Guard. The cost is 16 percent of current earnable compensation or career highest fiscal year earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for each year purchased. Your discharge from service must be under conditions other than dishonorable. Under guidelines set forth by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), you may also arrange in advance with your employer to continue contributing to your account while on active duty military leave or make the contributions on a pre-tax basis after returning from military leave within a period of three times longer than your military leave, but not more than five years. Leave of Absence Active contributing members on an employer-approved leave of absence who return to covered employment within four years may purchase service credit for the employer-approved leave period for which they do not already have service credit, up to a maximum of two years per leave of absence. The leave of absence must be with an employer covered by the Retirement Systems. The cost is 16 percent of current earnable compensation or career highest fiscal year earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for each year purchased. Workers’ Compensation You may establish service credit for a period while on leave of absence and receiving Workers’ Compensation benefits. The cost is based on contributions plus interest using your earnable compensation at the time of injury. You may also arrange in advance with your employer to continue contributing to your account while you are receiving Workers’ Compensation benefits. Previously Withdrawn PORS Service If you left employment and received a refund of your contributions plus interest from the Retirement Systems, you may re-establish this service upon returning to active membership. You must repay the amount you withdrew plus interest to the date your request is received. Previously withdrawn earned service that is re-established in PORS through the service purchase process is considered earned service for the required five years earned service, when applicable. Please note that earnings associated with a re-established withdrawal will be considered for possible inclusion in the calculation of a member’s average final compensation and any subsequent service purchase costs. Non-Qualified Service Active contributing members who have five or more years of earned service credit may establish up to five years of non-qualified service. The cost is 35 percent of current earnable compensation or career highest fiscal year earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for each year purchased. State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP) Service Active contributing members may purchase service credit for their years of participation in the State ORP administered by the South Carolina Retirement Systems. The cost is 16 percent of current earnable compensation or career highest fiscal year earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for each year of service purchased. You may not purchase service for a period of State ORP participation for which you may receive a retirement annuity from another defined benefit retirement plan. State ORP service that is established in PORS through the service purchase process is considered earned service for the required five years earned service, when applicable.