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Retirees

Retirement Candidates

Retirement Candidate Information Sessions

If you plan to retire within the next one to two years, please attend a Group Retirement Candidate Information Session, presented to you by the APS Benefits Division. You will learn the steps you need to take to help ensure your retirement from APS is a positive experience.

Sessions are held during March and April each school year.  The links will be posted 14 days before the event.

Join VEA Retired!

VEA will always be your professional community.

It doesn’t all stop on the day you retire from teaching or other school employment. Your daily routine might change, but you are still the professional who invested years, as well as sweat and tears, into making our Virginia public schools the best they can be. And you’ll still want to be an integral part of your professional community, the Virginia Education Association-Retired.

Virginia Retirement System 

Hybrid Plan Participants

The Hybrid Retirement Plan combines the features of a defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan. The plan applies to most members hired on or after January 1, 2014.

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  • The defined benefit portion of the benefit is based on a formula using your age, creditable service and average final compensation at retirement. Under the defined benefit component of the Hybrid Retirement Plan, the retirement multiplier to be used on service earned, purchased or granted on or after January 1, 2014, is 1.0%.

  • ​Average final compensation × retirement multiplier for the plan × total years of creditable service at retirement = Annual benefit amount ÷ 12 = Monthly benefit amount before taxes and other deductions

  • The defined contribution portion of the benefit is based on the contributions made to the plan and the investment performance of those contributions.

  • In addition to the monthly benefit payment payable from the defined benefit plan at retirement, you may start receiving distributions from the balance in your defined contribution account, reflecting the contributions, investment gains or losses, and any required fees.

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Retirement Contributions

Your retirement benefit is funded through mandatory and voluntary contributions made by you and your employer to both the defined benefit and the defined contribution components of the plan. Mandatory contributions are based on a percentage of your creditable compensation and are required from both you and your employer. Additionally, you may choose to make voluntary contributions of more than the mandatory amount to the defined contribution component of the plan, and your employer is required to match those voluntary contributions according to specified percentages.

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Unreduced Retirement Eligibility

Under the defined benefit component of the plan, you become eligible for an unreduced retirement benefit when you reach your normal Social Security retirement age and have at least five years (60 months) of creditable service, or when your age and service equal 90. For Example: Age 60 with 30 years of creditable service.

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For the defined contribution component, you are eligible to receive distributions upon leaving employment, subject to restrictions.

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Vesting

Defined Benefit Vesting is the minimum length of service you need to qualify for a future retirement benefit. You are vested under the defined benefit component of the Hybrid Retirement Plan when you reach five years (60 months) of creditable service. Defined Contribution Vesting is the minimum length of service members need to be eligible to withdraw employer contributions from the defined contribution component of the plan. You are always 100% vested in the contributions that you make.

 

Upon retirement or leaving covered employment, you are eligible to withdraw a percentage of employer contributions. Distribution is not required by law until age 70½.

  • After two years, you are 50% vested and may withdraw 50% of employer contribution.

  • After three years, you are 75% vested and may withdraw 75% of employer contributions.

  • After four or more years, you are 100% vested and may withdraw 100% of employer contributions.

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Hybrid Plan Resources

Plan 1 and Plan 2 Participants

Full-time and part-time C, D and M-scale employees hired after July 1, 2001 and prior to January 1, 2014, and A, E, G, P, T, X-scale employees and Extended Day Supervisors who work at least half-time automatically are members of the VRS. As of July 1, 2012, members of VRS pay a pre-tax 5.0% contribution as determined by the State. Membership is mandatory for employees in covered positions. Members are vested in the system after five years service.

Plan 1: At the time of retirement for employees in Plan 1 (service credit prior to July 1, 2010), the amount of the annuity to which the retiree is entitled is calculated based on the retiree’s 36 highest consecutive months of salary, the retiree’s years of service under the VRS and the retiree’s age at the time of retirement (age 50 with at least 10 years service credit or age 55 with at least 5 years service credit).

Plan 2: For employees in Plan 2, the amount of the annuity to which the retiree is entitled is calculated based on the retiree’s 60 highest consecutive months of salary, the retiree’s years of service under the VRS and the retiree’s age at the time of retirement (minimum age 60 with at least five years of service).

Health Insurance Credit
A, E, G, P, T, X-scale employees and Extended Day Supervisors who retire with 15 or more years of VRS service are entitled to receive a credit of $4.00 per month for each year of VRS service (not to exceed the individual premium amount) to defray their health insurance premium costs.

Arlington County Employees Retirement System (ACERS)

A, E, G, P, T- scale employees and Extended Day Supervisors hired before February 1981 are covered by VRS and by Chapter 35 of the Arlington County Employees Retirement System.

 

C, D and M-scale employees hired before February 1981 are covered by Chapter 21 of the Arlington County Employees Retirement System. Full-time and part-time maintenance, custodial, transportation and cafeteria employees, and 27-hour Extended Day Aides, who were employed after February 1981 and before July 1, 2001, and who opted not to be covered by VRS, are members of Chapter 46 of the Arlington County Employees’ Retirement System (ACERS). ACERS members contribute 4.0% of their salaries to the retirement system in pre-tax dollars and 1.0% pre-tax to a 457 plan with TIAA-CREF.

 

Like VRS, at the time of retirement, the annuity to which a retiree is entitled is calculated based on the retiree’s thirty-six highest consecutive months of salary, the number of years of service under the system, and the age at the time of retirement. To reach the Arlington Retirement Office, call 703-228-3500 or 1-800-818-4910.

Retiree Medical and Dental

In recognition of the service our Retirees have rendered to Arlington Public Schools (APS), the School Board provides medical and dental benefits to those employees who, at the time of their retirement, are enrolled in the group medical and dental coverage.

 

For Retirees with 20 or more years of service with APS, the School Board makes the same contribution towards the Retiree’s premium as it does for an active employee. The School Board’s contribution is reduced for Retirees with less than 20 years of service. Full-time, Virginia Retirement System (VRS) covered A, E, G, T, P-scale employees, and Extended Day Supervisors who retire with 15 or more years of service, are entitled to receive a Health Insurance Credit of $4.00 per month for each year of VRS service.

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Important Information

Retirees who do not elect medical and/or dental benefits at the time of retirement will not be eligible to enroll at a future date. A Retiree’s spouse and/or dependent children must be covered under an Arlington Public Schools (APS) medical plan and dental plan for at least five years prior to the employee’s retirement to be eligible to receive retiree health and dental coverage.

 

Turning Age 65

It is strongly recommended the Retiree and/or spouse who is turning age 65, or who will retire at age 65, apply for Medicare Part A and Part B at least 3 months before retirement or turning age 65. The Retiree and/or covered spouse will receive an Enrollment Packet from either United Healthcare or Kaiser Permanente, whichever is applicable.

 

Annual Open Enrollment

On an annual basis, Open Enrollment materials will be mailed to the participating Retiree’s home address. It is very important to inform the APS Benefits Department of any changes to your home address.

Medical Coverage

Medicare Advantage Coverage (For Retirees and eligible spouses age 65+)
If the Retiree and their eligible spouse were enrolled in a CareFirst medical plan immediately before retirement, they will be offered Medicare Advantage coverage with United Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage. If the retiree and their eligible spouse were enrolled with Kaiser Permanente immediately before retirement, they will be offered Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare Advantage Plan. (The Retiree must also elect coverage if the Retiree wishes to cover an eligible dependent.) Retirees and their spouses who do not elect coverage at the time of retirement will not be eligible to enroll at a future date.
 
Retirees Under Age 65 (For non-Medicare Retirees, eligible spouses, and dependent children)
If the Retiree and their eligible spouse and/or dependent children are under age 65 at the time of retirement, the Retiree and covered spouse and dependents will continue to be covered under the same “active employee” medical plan in which the Retiree was enrolled immediately prior to retirement. (The Retiree must also elect medical coverage if the Retiree wishes to cover any eligible dependents.) Retirees, spouses and dependent children who do not elect to continue medical coverage at the time of retirement will not be eligible to enroll at a future date.

Dental Coverage

Retiree dental coverage is offered through Delta Dental of Virginia. If the Retiree, spouse and dependent children are enrolled in the dental plan immediately prior to retirement, the Retiree, spouse and dependent children will be offered Retiree dental coverage. (The Retiree must also elect dental coverage if the Retiree wishes to cover any eligible dependents.) Retirees who do not elect to continue dental coverage at the time of retirement will not be eligible to enroll at a future date. Retirees pay the full premium for this coverage.

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