Tier I
Full at 55
Early from 50. Factors not published.
Handbook (2011), p. 5, Membership Tiers; p. 17, Minimum Requirements for Age-Based Retirement; Retirement booklet (June 2023), p. 2, What Tier Am I?Tier II
Full at 60
Early from 55, by the table below.
Handbook (2011), p. 5, Membership Tiers; p. 17, Minimum Requirements for Age-Based Retirement; Retirement booklet (June 2023), p. 2, What Tier Am I?Any age
20 years
of membership service, or 25 credited with the last five as membership: no cut.
Handbook (2011), p. 17, Minimum Requirements for Service-Based Retirement; Retirement booklet (June 2023), p. 4; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 6Short answer: Tier I can retire early from 50 and Tier II from 55, with a reduction factor that lasts for life. With 20 years of membership service there is no reduction at any age. Load DRB's early-retirement example in the calculator, check which tier you're in, or see what one more year saves.
Vested means 8 years of paid-up membership service (there are other routes, below). Leave without pay, military service from before you joined, and unused sick leave raise your benefit but don't count toward these rules. Handbook (2011), p. 17, Vesting; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 4; Handbook (2011), p. 9, Leave Without Pay; p. 11, NOTE; Retirement booklet (June 2023), p. 4; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 13
Eligibility depends on membership service (some claimed service, LWOP and sick leave do not count) and on 'last five years are membership service' for the 25-year rule. The calculator asks for membership service separately and assumes the last five years were membership service.
The calculator asks for membership service separately (blank means all of it), and assumes your last five years were membership service unless you untick that box.
What would settle it: The member's DRB annual statement or online account (service breakdown).
DRB's example
Tier II, age 55 years 5 months, 19 years of service, ABS $85,000:
DRB shows $20,139.08 a year and $1,678.26 a month. Load it in the calculator
Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 10The Tier II factor table
Find your age in whole years (column) and extra months (row) on your retirement date. Multiply your unreduced benefit by the factor.
| Extra months | Age 55 | Age 56 | Age 57 | Age 58 | Age 59 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.598744 | 0.661312 | 0.73151 | 0.810448 | 0.899432 |
| 1 | 0.603557 | 0.666707 | 0.73757 | 0.817273 | 0.907137 |
| 2 | 0.608437 | 0.672179 | 0.743719 | 0.824197 | 0.914956 |
| 3 | 0.613387 | 0.677729 | 0.749956 | 0.831224 | 0.922891 |
| 4 | 0.618408 | 0.68336 | 0.756285 | 0.838355 | 0.930946 |
| 5 | 0.623501 | 0.689072 | 0.762707 | 0.845592 | 0.939122 |
| 6 | 0.628668 | 0.694968 | 0.769224 | 0.852937 | 0.947422 |
| 7 | 0.63391 | 0.70075 | 0.775839 | 0.860394 | 0.95585 |
| 8 | 0.63923 | 0.706719 | 0.782552 | 0.867964 | 0.964408 |
| 9 | 0.644628 | 0.712778 | 0.789368 | 0.87565 | 0.973099 |
| 10 | 0.650107 | 0.718928 | 0.796287 | 0.883455 | 0.981926 |
| 11 | 0.655667 | 0.725171 | 0.803313 | 0.891382 | 0.990892 |
Effective 1986. Handbook (2011), p. 29, Appendix, Early Retirement Factors
The printed early factors are labeled 'Effective 1986' and the J&S factors 'Effective July 1, 1983'. The 2025 handout reuses 0.623501, so the early table still appears current, but DRB says factors can change and the entry date picks the set (trs024).
We use the printed early retirement factors (effective 1986) and the sample joint and survivor factors (effective July 1, 1983). The 2025 handout's early example matches the 1986 table.
What would settle it: DRB's current factor tables and the entry-date rules for which set applies.
Tier II at 55 to 60
Our illustration: 15 years of service, ABS $85,000, retiring on a birthday.
| Age | Factor | A month |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | 0.598744 | $1,272.33 |
| 56 | 0.661312 | $1,405.29 |
| 57 | 0.73151 | $1,554.46 |
| 58 | 0.810448 | $1,722.20 |
| 59 | 0.899432 | $1,911.29 |
| 60 | none | $2,125.00 |
Tier I early retirement
Tier I members can retire early from 50. The handbook prints factors only for ages 55-59 and says to contact the Division for early retirement factors for ages 50 to 55 for Tier I (p. 29). Tier I early estimates are not computed. Handbook (2011), p. 29, Appendix, Early Retirement Factors
Our example: a Tier I member at 52 with 15 years and an ABS of $85,000 has an unreduced benefit of $2,125.00 a month. The reduced amount depends on a factor DRB doesn't publish, so we show none.
Tier I early factors (ages 50-54) are not published; the handbook says to contact the Division (p. 29). The engine returns no amount for Tier I early retirement.
For Tier I early retirement (ages 50 to 54) we show no dollar amount: only the unreduced amount, labeled.
What would settle it: DRB's Tier I early retirement factor table.
DRB's handbook, booklet and seminar handout all say Tier I members can retire unreduced at 55 and early at 50. The statute as printed on akleg.gov (AS 14.25.110(a)-(b)) gives age 55 only to members first hired before July 1, 1975, and 60 (early 55) to others. We follow DRB's publications.
Handbook (2011), p. 17; AS 14.25.110(a), (b)
Every DRB publication gives Tier I a normal age of 55 and early age of 50, but the codified AS 14.25.110(a)-(b) text as printed on akleg.gov gives age 55 only to members first hired before July 1, 1975 (and age 60/55 to others). The Tier I rules presumably rest on uncodified applicability sections of the 1990 act (ch. 97, SLA 1990).
We follow the DRB publications: Tier I normal retirement at 55, early at 50.
What would settle it: The session law (ch. 97, SLA 1990) applicability sections, or DRB confirmation.
When your benefit starts
Retirement is effective on the first of the month after you meet the rules, leave your job and file. A birthday on the 1st counts that month. Handbook (2011), p. 20, Pension Benefit Payments; Benefits Start; WARNING; Retirement booklet (June 2023), p. 1, Introduction; p. 3, Retirement Effective Date
The facts
- Once vested, you can retire with an unreduced benefit at age 55 in Tier I or age 60 in Tier II.Handbook (2011), p. 17, Minimum Requirements for Age-Based Retirement; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 5
- At any age you can retire unreduced with 20 paid-up years of Alaska TRS membership service, or 25 paid-up years of credited service if the last five were Alaska TRS membership service. Refunded service you have not fully repaid does not count.Handbook (2011), p. 17, Minimum Requirements for Service-Based Retirement; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 6
- Retirement starts on the first of the month after you meet the requirements, leave Alaska TRS employment and file your application (a birthday on the 1st counts that month). If you earned a full year of credit (172 days) in your last school year, you cannot retire before the next July 1.Handbook (2011), p. 20, Pension Benefit Payments; WARNING
- Waiting past your normal retirement age after you have left Alaska TRS employment does not raise your benefit.Handbook (2011), p. 17; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 8
- Vested members can retire up to five years early: from age 50 in Tier I or 55 in Tier II. The benefit is cut by an actuarial factor based on your age in years and months, for life.Handbook (2011), pp. 17-18, Early Retirement; Retirement booklet (June 2023), p. 3
- For Tier II the published factors run from 0.598744 at exactly 55 (about a 40% cut) to 0.990892 at 59 and 11 months. DRB's example: at 55 years 5 months with 19 years and a $85,000 average base salary, $32,300 a year x 0.623501 = $20,139.08, or $1,678.26 a month.Handbook (2011), p. 29, Early Retirement Factors; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slide 10
- DRB does not publish the Tier I early retirement factors (ages 50 to 55); ask the Division for them.Handbook (2011), p. 29
Compare dates in the calculator, or see what one more year adds.
Questions
How early can I retire from Alaska TRS?
Once vested, up to 5 years before your normal age: from 50 in Tier I and 55 in Tier II.
How big is the early cut?
Your benefit is multiplied by a factor for your age in years and months, for life. In Tier II it runs from 0.598744 at exactly 55 to 0.990892 at 59 and 11 months.
What about Tier I?
DRB doesn't publish the Tier I early factors (ages 50 to 54). Ask the Division for your factor. This site shows no Tier I early amount.
Can I avoid the cut?
Yes: with 20 years of membership service, or 25 years of credited service with the last five as membership service, you retire unreduced at any age.
Source: Alaska Teachers' Retirement System Information Handbook (Tiers I and II), 2011 edition (current on drb.alaska.gov), checked against the TRS Retirement Application Instruction Booklet (June 2023), pp. 9, 11, 17-18, 20, 29. Also: Retirement booklet (June 2023), pp. 1, 3, 4; Seminar handout (Jan. 6, 2025), slides 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13; AS 14.25.110. Last reviewed .