The basics
All service must be established and paid for before retirement; beneficiaries can't buy service. You need an active account (contributed at least 1 year in the last 5). Pay all at once or in 1-year increments, by check, money order or rollover (not Roth IRA). The longer you wait, the more it costs. Member's Guide p. 7, Creditable Service; Payment of Service Purchases
What you can buy
| Type | Rules |
|---|---|
| Air Time | With at least 25 years, buy up to 3 years of additional service, only when you apply to retire, at full actuarial cost. Refunded if you withdraw your application. Member's Guide p. 7, Air Time |
| ERS withdrawn service | Repay withdrawn ERS service after 3 years of active TRS of Georgia membership (1-3 prior accounts), 5 years (4 accounts) or 10 years (5+); cost = TRS of Georgia employee contributions plus interest, interest +2% for each withdrawal over 3. Unwithdrawn ERS service can be transferred; pay the contribution difference for full credit. Member's Guide p. 7, ERS Withdrawn Service |
| Maternity leave (before 1976) | Absence for pregnancy before March 5, 1976: 1.5 months per pregnancy, 6 months maximum. Member's Guide p. 7, Maternity Leave Credit |
| Military service | Up to 5 years of active-duty military service under several provisions; costs and deadlines vary. Member's Guide p. 8, Military Service |
| Out-of-state service | 1 year after 6 years of TRS of Georgia membership service, 1 more per additional year, up to 10 years; cost = employee + employer contributions plus interest at the salary then earned. Not if you can get a benefit for it elsewhere (Social Security excepted). Member's Guide p. 9, Out-of-State Service |
| Georgia private school | Accredited Georgia private school service: 1 year after 6 years of TRS of Georgia membership service, up to 10 years, at full actuarial cost. Member's Guide p. 9, Private School Employment |
| PSERS service | Prior PSERS service: employee + employer contributions plus interest; you must first withdraw from PSERS. Member's Guide pp. 9-10, PSERS Credit |
| Study leave | Full-time graduate study between Georgia teaching jobs, with 5 years of return service. Member's Guide p. 10, Study Leave Credit |
| Withdrawn TRS of Georgia service | Repay withdrawn TRS of Georgia accounts after 3/5/10 years of active membership (by number of withdrawals); cost = amount withdrawn plus interest, +2% interest for each withdrawal over 3. Member's Guide p. 10, TRS of Georgia Withdrawn Service |
| Visiting scholar | Up to 2 years, counted within the 10-year out-of-state maximum. Member's Guide p. 10, Visiting Scholar Credit |
| Workers' comp disability | Up to 12 months of job-related temporary disability; apply within 6 months of returning. Member's Guide p. 10, Workers Compensation Disability |
You need 25 years of service to buy Air Time. The sources don't say if unused sick leave counts toward those 25 years.
What we use: sick leave counts toward the 25 years; Air Time itself doesn't.
Unused sick leave
Unused, unpaid sick leave from TRS of Georgia employers can be added to creditable service at retirement: 1 month of service for every 20 days; 9 months = 1 year. You need at least 60 days. It counts toward 25 years (early) or 30 years (normal) but not toward vesting (10 years). Total service with sick leave can't exceed 40 years. Only for Georgia teaching service, not out-of-state, ERS, PSERS, etc. Accrual counted at no more than 1-1/4 days per month. Member's Guide p. 17, Unused Sick Leave
| Unused sick days | Months of service | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 60–69 | 3 | 0.333 |
| 70–89 | 4 | 0.444 |
| 90–109 | 5 | 0.556 |
| 110–129 | 6 | 0.667 |
| 130–149 | 7 | 0.778 |
| 150–169 | 8 | 0.889 |
| 170–189 | 9 | 1.000 |
| 190–209 | 10 | 1.111 |
| 270–289 | 14 | 1.556 |
| 350–369 | 18 | 2.000 |
| 430–449 | 22 | 2.444 |
| 510–529 | 26 | 2.889 |
| 590–609 | 30 | 3.333 |
| 670–689 | 34 | 3.778 |
Selected rows. The chart goes on in 20-day steps, 1 month each. Total service can't go over 40 years. Member's Guide p. 27, Appendix B: Unused Sick Leave Credit Conversion Chart
What the guide says
- You can buy several kinds of service: out-of-state teaching (up to 10 years), military (up to 5), Georgia private school (up to 10, full actuarial cost), withdrawn TRS of Georgia or ERS service, PSERS, study leave and more.Member's Guide pp. 7-10, Creditable Service
- All purchases must be finished before your retirement date, and the longer you wait the more it costs.Member's Guide pp. 7 and 18; Pre-Retirement Handout p. 6
- Unused, unpaid sick leave adds service at retirement: 1 month per 20 days (minimum 60 days), 9 months = 1 year. It counts toward 25 or 30 years but not toward vesting.Member's Guide p. 17, Unused Sick Leave
Questions
What service can I buy?
Out-of-state teaching, military, Georgia private school, withdrawn service and several others. Each has its own rules and cost.
How does unused sick leave count?
20 days = 1 month of service, 9 months = 1 year, with at least 60 days. It counts toward 25 or 30 years but not the 10 years to vest.
What is Air Time?
Up to 3 years of service bought at full actuarial cost when you apply to retire, if you already have 25 years. It can reduce or remove the early cut.
Source: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia Member's Guide, 06/26, pp. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 27; Pre-Retirement Handout p. 6. Last reviewed .