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SCRS - Active Members
Types of Service
Convert Class I to Class II Service
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Previously Withdrawn Service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 an SCRS member who still has Class I service, you may convert
your Class I service to Class II service by paying 2.5 percent of either
your current earnable compensation or the average of your 12 highest
consecutive quarters of earnable compensation, whichever is greater, for
each year to be converted.
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. If you have
established State ORP service in SCRS, your career highest salary includes
your salary in either State ORP or SCRS.
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. If you have established State ORP service in SCRS, your career
highest salary includes your salary in either State ORP or SCRS.
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. If
you have established State ORP service in SCRS, your career highest salary
includes your salary in either State ORP or SCRS. 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.
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. If you have established State ORP service in SCRS, your
career highest salary includes your salary in either State ORP or SCRS.
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
SCRS 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 SCRS through the
service purchase process is considered earned service for the
determination of the minimum service requirement for benefit eligibility.
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.
If you have established State ORP service in SCRS, your career highest
salary includes your salary in either State ORP or SCRS.
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 in either
SCRS or State ORP, 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
SCRS through the service purchase process is considered earned service for
the determination of the SCRS minimum service requirement for benefit
eligibility. Salaries associated with State ORP service purchased in SCRS
will be considered for possible inclusion in the calculation of a member’s
average final compensation. |
