Purchasable Service Credit

There are numerous types of service credit that may be purchased to increase your retirement benefit. Some are treated the same as actual Connecticut public school teaching service and some are considered as Non-Connecticut.  It is your responsibility to document additional credited service on the appropriate form(s). Lack of the required information requested on the appropriate additional credit forms will cause delays in processing a cost statement.  Forms are listed below and available on the Active Teacher Forms page.

1.  Additional Service Credit - Estimates may be processed on the Additional Service Credit Cost EstimatorYou cannot use the Additional Service Credit Cost Estimator for Previous Connecticut Teaching Service.  (See number 2 below)
Various Limitations on Additional Service Credit
  • Additional credit is calculated on a school year basis (September through June), including military service.  No credit is given for July and August.

  • Substitute service and Part-time service (less than 50%) requires that a member work at least the equivalent of 40 days or more in a single school year in a single school system.  For each 18 days of such service 1 month of additional credited service shall be given.

  • A member may purchase up to 10 years of additional service in aggregate except for Outside State Teaching Service (OSS).

  • A member may be allowed one year of OSS (United States, it territories or possessions) for each two years of active full-time service as a Connecticut teacher. Any OSS years purchased in excess of ten years are purchased at full actuarial value.

  • A maximum of three years of Peacetime Military service; 10 years of Wartime Military service.

  • Leaves of absence are limited to one year for every five years of full-time Connecticut teaching service and no more than a maximum of three consecutive years.

  • A maximum of two years of Federal Teacher Corps Service.

  • State of Connecticut Employment in a non-teaching position must be a full-time permanent position.

  • Part-time lecturing when not employed by a town Board of Education in a regular public school teaching position.

Private schools or institutions and parochial school service is not purchasable credit.

Service credit may not be purchased if the member is receiving or is, or will become, entitled to receive a retirement benefit based upon such service from any governmental system other than the Connecticut Teachers' Retirement System, the U.S. Social Security System Administration, or a Non-Regular military pension in the case of military service.

Type of Service Credit

CT or
Non-CT

Documentation Required

American School for the Deaf Teaching Service

Non-CT

American School at Hartford for the Deaf Teaching Service Form (PDF 354KB)

Adult Education Assignments – High School Credit Diploma Program Only – Not GED

CT

Adult Education Assignment Form (PDF 28KB)

CT Institute for the Blind Teaching Service

Non-CT

Connecticut Institute for the Blind Teaching Service Form (PDF 377KB)

Elected Official

Non-CT

Elected Official Form (PDF 12KB)

Federal Teacher Corps

Non-CT

Federal Teacher Corp Form (PDF 33KB)

Full-time Permanent State of CT Employment (including but not limited to Judicial, DMV, DPW, DPH)

Non-CT

State of CT Non-Teaching Form (PDF 34KB)

Hourly Paid Certified Teaching Service (Tutoring, CETA, etc)

CT

Hourly Paid Certified Teacher Form (PDF 72KB)

Military Dependents School

Non-CT

Department of Defense Dependents School (DODDS) Form(PDF 177KB)

New York City Department of Education Teaching Service

Non-CT

New York City Department of Education Teaching Service (PDF 94KB)

Newington Children's Hospital Teaching Service

Non-CT

Newington Children's Hospital Teaching Service Form (PDF 318KB)

Outside State Teaching Service

Non-CT

Outside State Teaching Service Form (PDF 90KB)

Part-time Lecturer

CT

Part-time Lecturer Form (PDF 77KB)

Part-time Service (less than 50%)

CT

Less than Half-time CT Public School Employment (PDF 79KB)  

Peace Corps

Non-CT

Verification of Service letter Where to phone/write for Peace Corps Verification of Service

Peacetime Military Service

Non-CT

Discharge Papers (DD214) Request Military Service Records

Previous Absence or Terminations Due to Pregnancy

CT

Special Rules For Absences Due to Maternity(PDF 95KB)

Previous Leave of Absence

CT

Previous Leave of Absence Form (PDF 87KB)

Previous Leave of Absence for Child Rearing Purposes When Not Granted by CT Local School District

CT

Child Rearing Leave of Absence - Special Board Policy(PDF 72KB)

Prior CT Service Withdrawn

CT

Prior Connecticut Service (PDF 84KB)

Social Work Assistant in a Public School from 1969 to 1986

Non-CT

Social Work Assistant Public School Form (PDF 34KB)

State Education Resource Center Teaching

Non-CT

State Education Resource Center Teaching Service Form (PDF 94KB)

State of CT Employment - Teaching (UCONN, colleges, CTHSS, State of CT agencies, i.e. DOC, DMR)

CT

State of CT Teaching Form (PDF 85KB)

Substitute Teaching

CT

Substitute Teaching Service Form (PDF 41KB)  

VISTA

Non-CT

Verification of Service letter Where to phone/write for VISTA Verification of Service

Wartime Military Service

CT

Discharge Papers (DD214) Request Military Service Records

2.  Previous Teaching Service in Connecticut - These types of service are considered as membership credit.  The cost is determined by using what mandatory contributions would have been paid at the time of employment plus the credited interest that would have accrued through the date of payment. You cannot use the Additional Service Credit Cost Estimator for these types of service:

  • Prior Connecticut Service
    This is service you forfeited when you withdrew your contributions.
  • Hourly Paid Certified Teaching Service
    If you have Tutor, Title One, Chapter IV, Head Start, ESL or CETA service.
  • Adult Education Assignments
    If you taught in an Adult High School Credit Diploma Program.
  • State of CT Employment as a Teacher
    Previous teaching at UCONN, State Colleges, CTHSS, State of CT Agencies such as DOC, DMR.
  • Part-time Lecturer
    If you were an active contributing member of TRB and also were employed as a part-time lecturer at a CT State College or University, you may elect to include such earnings as part of your pensionable salary.  Please be advised if you are currently working as a regular public school teacher and a part-time lecturer, you need to contact the university or college payroll office regarding your eligibility to enroll in CTRB and include your earnings as part of your pensionable salary, which may have an effect in determining your highest 3-year average at the time of your retirement.
3.  Current Leaves of Absence (CLOA) - You may elect to pay the monthly mandatory contributions while on your approved CLOA for a total of ten (10) months during your career for any leave occurring on or after July 1, 1986. To document this service, a Current Leave of Absence Form (TRB 53X) (PDF 100KB) must be completed and returned to this office.
 
Effective with current leaves of absence beginning in the 2012-13 school year, payment for a CLOA is now required either in advance or in monthly installments. It may not be paid for in arrears after the end of the month. Failure to pay any month’s installment by the last day of that month will result in a change in the member's status from active to inactive and the an inactive member is ineligible to purchase any of the remaining months of the leave as a CLOA, but may be eligible to purchase them as a Previous Leave of Absence subject to certain limitations.
 
We have expanded the payment options for a CLOA to include rollovers from other qualified retirement plans and the use of funds in the voluntary and supplemental accounts.
 
Please refer to the new Current Leave of Absence Form (TRB 53X) (PDF 100KB) and instructions on the Forms page of this website, or contact us for further information.