TRF

Employers start the enrollment process by completing the Enrollment for a School or Charter School as a New Employer forms and mailing the forms to TRF. These forms can be found in the Forms section on the TRF homepage. Once these forms are received and processed, an Employer Unit number will be assigned and emailed to the superintendent/director and treasurer of the school.

Eligible Members

All legally qualified teachers, as defined in IC 5-10.4-4-1 and 35 IAC 14-1-28, who are regularly employed in a covered position in the public school system of Indiana or in a qualified position at certain state institutions, as well as all TRF employees as of June 30, 2011, must be members of TRF.

Faculty and staff at certain charter schools, turnaround schools, innovation schools and public universities throughout Indiana and some legally qualified State employees and employers are eligible for optional enrollment. According to Indiana law, a substitute teacher must be a member of TRF upon completion of the following:

• Certified by the Indiana State Board of Education

• Obtained at least an associate's degree

• Taught at least 120 days in a fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) or at least 60 days in two fiscal years

Certification from the State Board of Education may include a teaching license, a substitute teaching permit, a temporary teaching license, or an emergency teaching license. However, if a member's license expires, he or she is no longer eligible to be a TRF member until a new license is issued. No contributions are collected for substitute teachers who do not meet the criteria outlined above.

Regularly contracted faculty and administrative staff at Ball State University and Vincennes University who are designated as eligible by the INPRS Board have the option of joining TRF. New teachers cannot join the fund until their universities have petitioned the Board on their behalf.

Persons employed by a governing body and the Indiana State Board of Education who were qualified before their election or appointment may also have the option to join.

Innovation schools must also be enrolled in PERF or TRF.

Ineligible Members

35 IAC 14-4-3 provides that teacher aides and higher education graduate assistants are not eligible for membership in TRF. 35 IAC 14-1-28 provides a list of school positions that are not considered to be teachers. This list, not all-inclusive, includes dormitory and secretarial staff, grounds or facility management personnel, occupational and physical therapists, and counselors.

Once a member has been successfully enrolled, the member is assigned a Pension ID. This number is sent to the member along with the member's information, which is to be verified.

Member

All legally qualified teachers, as defined in Title 35, articles 14-19, who are regularly employed in a covered position in the public school system of Indiana or in a qualified position at certain state institutions as well as all TRF employees hired prior to July 1, 2011, must be members of TRF. Faculty and staff at certain charter schools, turnaround schools, innovation schools and public universities throughout Indiana and some legally qualified State employees are eligible for optional enrollment.

According to Indiana law, a substitute teacher may be a member of TRF upon completion of the following:

1. Be certified by the Indiana State Board of Education

2. Have obtained at least an associate's degree

3. Teach at least 120 days in a fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) or at least 60 days in each of two fiscal years.

   • Certification from the State Board of Education may include a teaching license, a substitute teaching permit, a temporary teaching license, or an emergency teaching license. However, if a member's license expires, he or she is no longer eligible to be a TRF member until a new license is issued. No contributions are collected for substitute teachers who do not meet the criteria outlined above.

Indiana Administrative Code provides that teacher aides and higher education graduate assistants are not eligible for membership in the fund.

Employer

Employer membership is comprised of public schools, charter schools, State agencies, turnaround schools and universities. All Indiana public schools, turnaround schools and innovation schools are required to participate in TRF's retirement plan. Charter schools can opt-in to the TRF plan or select an alternative plan. Any charter school that is currently participating in the TRF plan and decides to opt-out or offer an opt-out to its employees must complete the Charter School Opt-Out Notice form. Certain legally qualified State agencies are also eligible for participation. In addition, a number of public universities throughout the state have the option of participating in the TRF plan.

As of July 1, 2026, all active vested members of the TRF My Choice Retirement Savings Plan (TRF My Choice Plan) and active vested members of the PERF My Choice Retirement Savings Plan (PERF My Choice Plan) whose employers allow this election may end their My Choice membership and elect to participate in the TRF Hybrid or PERF Hybrid Plan. This new election option is called My Choice Second Chance.

For TRF Employers

Your employees participating in the TRF My Choice Plan have an exciting new option available to them: Starting July 1, 2026, active employees vested in the TRF My Choice Plan can change their retirement plan membership to the TRF Hybrid Plan. This new election option is called My Choice Second Chance.

This Second Chance is not a do-over. Members changing from the TRF My Choice Plan to the TRF Hybrid Plan will retain the funds in their My Choice account and will begin earning service in the TRF Hybrid Plan.

There is no time limit for active employees to make the choice to change their retirement plan membership to the TRF Hybrid Plan or to purchase service in the TRF Hybrid Plan.

This Second Chance to choose the TRF Hybrid Plan may improve retention, boost satisfaction, and increase engagement among your employees.

Purchasing Service

Employees may use the funds in their My Choice account to purchase TRF Hybrid Plan service up to the years of participation they earned in the My Choice Plan in full year increments. Employers can purchase service for their employees, too. Members are not required to purchase service at any time. Members may choose to purchase service at any time during active employment after they have earned at least one year of Hybrid service.

Purchasing service may be a significant cost to the employee. INPRS is working to provide a calculator to estimate the cost of purchase, but it is not yet available. For now, encourage employees to use the TRF Service Purchase Calculator, using the "Substitute Teaching" service type to get an approximate one-year estimate. This estimate is not official, but it will give the member an idea of the cost.

For Employees with Prior Hybrid Service

Members with prior TRF and/or PERF Hybrid service credit would retain their years of service. Prior service, purchased service associated with this change, and any newly earned service will combine toward the members' vesting requirement in the TRF Hybrid Plan.

Supporting You and Your Employees

There's nothing you need to do to allow this option for your TRF My Choice Plan employees, but your engagement is essential to successfully moving your employees to the TRF Hybrid Plan.

This new option enhances the value and flexibility of your employees' INPRS benefits. Employees choosing the TRF My Choice Plan now have peace of mind that they can move to the TRF Hybrid Plan in the future if doing so aligns with their goals.

INPRS is here to support you and your employees as they learn about this Second Chance option, complete the necessary form, and consider their service purchase options.

You can pull a report in ERM to find out which of your employees are eligible for Second Chance.

Making the Change

Your employees are responsible for initiating the change from the TRF My Choice Plan to the TRF Hybrid Plan. To elect Second Chance, they must:

• Follow the instructions on this form (PERF-TRF My Choice Second Chance Member Election (State Form 9900433)), then

• Bring the form to their employer to complete, then

• The employer will be responsible for listing the effective date of the election and submitting the form to INPRS.

You will list the effective date of this election on your employees' form. This date:

• Must be the 1st day of a payroll period, and

• Does not have to be the next payroll period, and

• Cannot be retroactive.

The date must also be before wages and contributions for that cycle are reported to INPRS. If you need help confirming this date, please call the EA Team.

By Member

Generally, a member who is no longer employed in a TRF- or PERF-covered position, does not plan to return to a TRF- or PERF-covered position, and is not eligible for a retirement pension benefit or a disability retirement benefit may suspend membership and may withdraw the balance of the member's Annuity Savings Account (ASA). There may be early withdrawal tax consequences for withdrawals made prior to age 59½. Members should consult a tax advisor.

A member who is vested, not retired, not currently employed in a TRF- or PERF-covered position, and is transferring TRF creditable service to another governmental retirement plan may suspend membership in order to withdraw the member's ASA and Rollover Savings Account (RSA) to purchase creditable service in the other governmental retirement plan.

Vested members who have been inactive for at least 30 days may withdraw their ASA without forfeiting the defined benefit. This is subject to possible IRS tax penalties.

By TRF

The membership status of a member with less than 10 years of covered service is automatically suspended five years after leaving PERF- or TRF-covered employment. After five continuous years in which the member performs no service covered by either PERF or TRF, the account is suspended by TRF and the member will no longer be eligible to earn interest on the ASA in the Guaranteed Fund unless that member is vested in or active with PERF.

The membership status of a member with less than 10 years of covered service may be suspended two years after leaving a TRF-covered position if the value of the member's ASA is $1,000 or less. TRF can automatically issue a reimbursement to an inactive member with less than $1,000 in the ASA.

A member's retirement benefit consists of a defined benefit pension and an Annuity Savings Account (ASA).

Defined Benefit

The member's defined benefit pension is paid as a lifetime monthly benefit and is funded by the State or the member's employer. To become eligible for a benefit, the member must be vested with 10 years of creditable service in a covered position.

Defined Contribution (DC) Account

The member's DC contains the mandatory employee three percent of annual compensation contribution, which is made by the member or the member's employer, as well as any voluntary contributions made by the member and any interest or earnings from the principle. A member is immediately vested in the DC and receives a detailed statement of account activity and balance information each quarter.

Rollover Savings Account (RSA)

A member may also have a Rollover Savings Account (RSA) for which the member receives a detailed statement of account activity and balance information each quarter. Members may create an RSA by transferring funds from an IRA or other qualified retirement plan into TRF. TRF will only accept transfers of taxable funds. These rolled over funds, along with investment gains and losses, comprise the RSA.

Age 65 Benefits

A member who is age 65 or older with 20 or more years of service may elect to begin receiving pension payments and continue to be employed in a covered position. In this situation, there is no required separation from service period and no earnings limitation. For any TRF member who continues employment while receiving monthly pension payments, no employer contributions are made to TRF and no additional service credit or supplemental pension is earned. Members may elect to continue making employee contributions.

To determine if employers are responsible for "picking up" contributions for members age 65 or older who are still working, it is necessary to refer to the employer's original resolution. If, in the resolution, the employer agrees to pick up these contributions, it is the employer's responsibility.

In some instances, a TRF member who is serving as an elected official may also be eligible to begin receiving benefits if the member has at least 20 years of creditable service and is at least 55 years of age. The same accrual and contribution provisions of the Age 65 Benefits apply.

PERF-covered employees are required by state law to contribute three percent of their gross wages (regular and overtime pay) to the Fund. Effective July 1, 1986, Indiana law required the state of Indiana to pay the three percent contributions for state employees as part of a wage adjustment. Under the law, local units of government and universities have the option of paying their employees' three percent contributions as part of a wage adjustment. Pursuant to Indiana pension law, employee contributions that are not picked up by the employer must be payroll deducted from the employees' wages and paid to PERF.

The three percent contributions made by either the employee or employer are sent to PERF for deposit in an Annuity Savings Account (ASA). These contributions and any accumulated interest credits are distributable to the employee should the employee terminate employment prior to being eligible for benefits. Once an employee with less than 10 years of service terminates employment and his/her ASA has been inactive for 10 years, any investments in the Guaranteed Fund will no longer accrue interest.

PERF can accept pre- and post-tax voluntary contributions from active members subject to certain conditions. For more information, you may access the PERF Member Handbook.

Under state law, vested status is defined as 10 or more years of creditable combined service under PERF or TRF. A member who has attained vested status will be entitled to benefits when meeting the age and service requirements for either early or normal retirement.

An elected county official, whose governing body has provided for the official's participation in PERF, is vested if the official:

1. Has served as an elected county official in an office described in Article 6, Section 2, of the Indiana Constitution (clerk of the circuit court, auditor, recorder, treasurer, sheriff, coroner, or surveyor) for at least eight years; and

2. Is prohibited by Article 6, Section 2, of the Indiana Constitution from serving in that office for more than eight years in any 12-year period.

An elected county official described above who has been elected at least twice and would have served for eight years had the official's term of office not been shortened by a law that makes the terms of office for constitutional county office holders uniform is also vested.

Generally, members who terminate employment with 10 years of service may take a distribution from their ASA account before becoming eligible for benefits and will retain vested rights to a pension benefit when the member becomes age eligible. If the funds are not withdrawn, those funds will be credited with any earned interest until the member initiates a retirement benefit.

If a member is not vested when withdrawing from the fund, the only way a member may reinstate the withdrawn service credit is by returning to work in a PERF-covered position and contributing to the Fund for a period of six consecutive months.

Employer Certification of Creditable Service

A member who is questioning a service credit amount with a former or current employer is responsible for providing evidence that service was rendered for the time period being questioned with that employer. Once that evidence is provided:

• If the evidence is provided to INPRS and the error is connected to a missing wage and contribution report, the EAT group will contact the employer to have the adjustment completed in the ERM application. Adjustments of service credit only must be handled by INPRS staff.

• If the evidence is provided to the employer, the employer will complete the adjustment in ERM.

Combining PERF & TRF Creditable Service

• Any member with creditable service in both the PERF and TRF will need to elect at retirement whether to receive a benefit from one fund, TRF or PERF.

• Once you elect to receive a pension benefit from one fund, your vested interest will be determined based on combined creditable service.

• You will be credited one year for each year of covered service, no matter how many positions you held at the time of service.

• You will receive a single benefit from that specified fund based on the combined creditable service from both funds.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Under Indiana Code, IC 5-10.3-7-6, an employee may receive credit for up to 12 weeks of leave (paid or unpaid) taken during a calendar year under the Family Medical Leave Act (29 USC 2601, et. seq.). Generally, service credit granted for this leave is used only for the purposes of determining eligibility and not for calculating benefits.

Adoption Leave

An employee is entitled to up to one year of service credit for Adoption Leave (paid or unpaid).

Purchase of Out-of-State Service

Indiana Code IC 5-10.3-7-4.5 provides for the purchase of out-of-state service credit with the Public Employees' Retirement Fund. In order to qualify for the purchase of this credit, the member must meet the following criteria:

• Have at least one year of service in a PERF-covered position.

• Prior service in another state must be in a comparable position that would be creditable service if performed in Indiana.

• The member is no longer eligible to use those years to claim a retirement from any other retirement system.

If you have a member who meets the criteria above and is interested in purchasing credit for out-of-state service, please instruct the member to fill out the Purchase Out-of-State Service form.

Each employer contributes at an actuarially determined rate. This rate is re-evaluated annually and usually is given to employers by Dec. 31 of the fiscal year two years prior to the fiscal year to which it applies. The contributions are made to fund the employer's pension obligations; these contributions do not fund individual employee accounts. The amount is expressed as a percentage of gross payroll. This employer contribution rate is in addition to the three percent mandatory member contributions.

Changes in Employer Contribution Rate

The employer's rate may change from year to year depending upon the particular employer's current pension obligations. Factors that may cause a change in rates are investment returns, turnover, mortality experience, an increase in membership or wages, recent retirements, members reaching vesting status, and certification of prior creditable service for current or former employees.

TRF Hybrid Plan

On Friday, April 26th, the INPRS Board of Trustees approved an employer contribution rate of 6.5% for the TRF Hybrid and TRF My Choice plans effective Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. This new rate will be applied to all payroll dates that occur after Jan. 1, 2025. The rate for the TRF Hybrid plan in 2026 will be 7.1% from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.

TRF My Choice Plan

On Friday, April 26th, the INPRS Board of Trustees approved an employer contribution rate of 6.5% for the TRF Hybrid and TRF My Choice plans effective Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025. This new rate will be applied to all payroll dates that occur after Jan. 1, 2025. The normal cost will remain at 6.0%, and the supplemental cost will be 0.5%.

From Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, the TRF My Choice contribution rate will be 7.1% with a breakdown of 6.3% normal cost and a supplemental cost of 0.8%.

Retired members must separate from employment for more than 30 days and cannot have a pre-existing agreement with their employer to return to work, or the member's retirement will be void and the member will be required to pay back any pension payments that have been paid to them. Millie Morgan and Elected Officials are exempt from this requirement.

If a member is retired from PERF or TRF and returns after 30 days to a PERF-covered position, the member cannot participate in the PERF Hybrid a second time. If the employer offers the PERF My Choice Plan and has elected to allow re-employed retirees to participate in the My Choice through a signed resolution with INPRS, the re-employed retiree may elect to join the PERF My Choice Plan.