Teacher Retirement System

Welcome to the Member Education video series. These videos are intended to provide answers and information to the most commonly asked questions about TRS member pension benefits. If you are a new, mid-career, late career or a retired member, you’ll find something useful in each video. During the course of your career and into retirement, it’s important to know your benefits. Staying in touch with TRS and understanding your benefits will pay off in the long run.​

TRS Educational Videos

The financial awareness video series is aimed at helping our current members learn even more about retirement self-sufficiency. In this series of short, animated whiteboard videos, a cast of characters will guide members through three important concepts:

Some of the videos are more relevant to early and mid-career members, while others may be of more interest to members who are near retirement. However, no matter where you are in your career, you’ll find something valuable in every video.

TRS Financial Awareness Videos Series 

Click on this link to access the TRS Service Credit Brochure

Click on this link to go to TRS Healthcare Benefits page

Normal Age Retirement

For persons who became members of TRS prior to September 1, 2007, had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, and maintain membership until retirement, the following eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for normal age retirement:

• Age 65 with five or more years of service credit, or
• Any combination of age and service totaling 80 with at least five years of service credit.

For persons who first became members or returned to membership on or after September 1, 2007, but prior to September 1, 2014, had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, and maintain membership until retirement, the following eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for normal age retirement:

• Age 65 with five or more years of service credit, or
• At least age 60, meets the Rule of 80 (combined age and years of service credit equal at least 80), and have at least five years of service credit.

Persons for whom any of the following apply:

1. first became a member or returned to membership on or after September 1, 2014,
2. had less than five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, or
3. had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, but terminated membership in TRS on or after September 1, 2014, and resumed membership in TRS again at a later date, the following eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for normal age retirement:
4. Age 65 with five or more years of service credit, or
5. At least age 62, meet the Rule of 80 (combined age and years of service credit equal at least 80), and have at least five years of service credit.

Early Age Retirement

A member may receive a reduced annuity at: age 55 with five or more years of service credit and the total age and service is less than 80, or by having at least 30 years of service credit and the total age and service is less than 80.

Persons who first became members or returned to membership on or after September 1, 2007, but prior to September 1, 2014, had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, and maintain membership until retirement are subject to a five(5) percent annuity reduction for each year under age 60 if they retire before age 60 and meet the Rule of 80. Members who meet the above stated criteria who retire with at least 30 years of service credit but do not meet the Rule of 80 also have a five percent annuity reduction for each year under age 60.

Persons for whom any of the following apply:

1. first became a member or returned to membership on or after September 1, 2014,
2. had less than five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, or
3. had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, but terminated membership in TRS on or after September 1, 2014, and resumed membership in TRS again at a later date, are subject to a five(5) percent annuity reduction for each year under age 62 if they retire before age 62 and meet the Rule of 80.

Members for whom any of the above stated criteria applies who retire with at least 30 years of service credit but do not meet the Rule of 80 also have a five(5) percent annuity reduction for each year under age 62.

Grandfathered Members who Terminate TRS Membership and Later Return

Grandfathered members who terminate their TRS membership by withdrawal of contributions at any time and return to membership on or after September 1, 2007, have different eligibility requirements for unreduced benefits than other persons. Please take note, however, that meeting the eligibility requirements for unreduced benefits is not necessarily synonymous with a normal age retirement. While a grandfathered member may be eligible, in certain situations, for unreduced benefits earlier than a non-grandfathered member, any member who retires as a service retiree prior to meeting the criteria for a normal age retirement is still considered an early age retiree. A member is grandfathered if, on or before August 31, 2005: 1) the member was at least age 50, 2) the member's age and years of service credit totaled at least 70, or 3) the member had at least 25 years of service credit. Persons who were grandfathered at the time of withdrawal have their grandfather status restored upon returning to membership, regardless of whether they reinstate the withdrawn service.

For grandfathered members who returned to membership on or after September 1, 2007, but prior to September 1, 2014, had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, and maintain membership until retirement, the following eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for unreduced benefits at retirement:

• Age 65 with five years of service credit, or
• Age 55 with at least five years of service credit and meets the Rule of 80 (combined age and years of service credit total at least 80).

Grandfathered members who returned to membership on or after September 1, 2007, but prior to September 1, 2014, had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, and maintain membership until retirement are subject to a five percent annuity reduction for each year under age 60 if they retire before age 55 and meet the Rule of 80. Members who meet the above stated criteria who retire with at least 30 years of service credit but who do not meet the Rule of 80 also have a five percent reduction for each year under age 60.

If any of the following applies to a grandfathered member: (1) returned to membership on or after September 1, 2014, (2) had less than five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, or (3) had at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, but terminated membership in TRS on or after September 1, 2014, and resumed membership in TRS again at a later date, the grandfathered member must meet one of the following eligibility requirements to qualify for unreduced benefits at retirement:

• Age 65 with five years of service credit, or
• At least age 55 but less than age 62, have at least 20 years of service credit, and meet the Rule of 80 (combined age and years of service credit total at least 80), or
• At least age 62, meet the Rule of 80, and have at least five years of service credit.

Grandfathered members who are subject to the most recently stated eligibility requirements for unreduced benefits are also subject to a five percent annuity reduction for each year under age 62 if they retire before age 55 and meet the Rule of 80, or with at least 30 years of service credit but do not meet the Rule of 80.

For Additional Information about Retirement Eligibility: For a detailed description of the retirement eligibility requirements that apply to both grandfathered and non-grandfathered members who became members of or returned to membership in TRS on different dates and who had or did not have at least five years of service credit on August 31, 2014, please refer to the "What is my Tier" section in the TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf).

Disability Retirement

A member, regardless of age, may apply for disability retirement if he or she is mentally or physically disabled from the further performance of duty, and the disability is probably permanent.

If you are interested in disability information, please contact the Teacher Retirement System of Texas at 1-800-223-8778.

Disability Benefits cannot be calculated online. Please contact TRS for an estimate.

Retirement Deadlines

*If you are already eligible to retire without the purchase of additional service credit, payment in full must be received by the deadline listed. If you are not purchasing additional service credit, you may disregard this deadline. If the purchase of additional service credit is required to establish eligibility for retirement, payment in full must be received by your effective date of retirement.

NOTE: Once you have filed your retirement application, you must submit all other required documents and forms within 12 months from your retirement effective date. Your application for retirement will be void if you do not meet the 12-month deadline. If your application becomes void for this reason, you must submit a new retirement application. Your earliest retirement date can then be no earlier than the last day of the month in which TRS receives the new retirement application or the last day of either of the two months preceding the month in which you submit the new application, provided employment has terminated. No annuity payment will be payable for the intervening months.

Standard Annuity:
Payable throughout retiree's life.

Option 1: (100% Joint Life Annuity)
Payable throughout retiree's life. Upon death, the same payment will continue throughout the selected beneficiary's life.

Option 2: (50% Joint Life Annuity)
Payable throughout retiree's life. Upon death, one-half of this payment will continue throughout the selected beneficiary's life.

Option 3: (Payments Guaranteed for 60 Months from Retirement Date)
Payable throughout retiree's life. If retiree dies within 60 months of the retirement date, the beneficiary or beneficiaries will continue to receive payments until the remainder of the 60 payments have been made.

Option 4: (Payments Guaranteed for 120 Months from Retirement Date)
Payable throughout retiree's life. If retiree dies within 120 months of the retirement date, the beneficiary or beneficiaries will continue to receive payments until the remainder of the 120 payments have been made.

Option 5: (75% Joint Life Annuity)
Payable throughout retiree's life. Upon death, three-fourths of this payment will continue throughout the selected beneficiary's life.

Important Notes:
Options 1 through 5 pay a reduced monthly annuity payable during the retiree’s life but provide for a beneficiary to receive a monthly benefit after the retiree’s death, either for life or for a guaranteed period of time.

If the primary beneficiary dies before the retiree and the retiree has selected Option 1, 2, or 5, the retiree’s future monthly annuity payments will increase to the amount of the standard annuity.

Options 1, 2, and 5 are not available if the retiring member is designating more than one primary beneficiary.

Members may not be eligible to select Option 1 if they designate a non-spouse beneficiary who is more than 10 years younger than the member, and they may not be eligible to select Option 5 if they designate a non-spouse beneficiary who is more than 19 years younger.

If one or more retirement payment plans is not available as discussed above, "N/A" will display on the retirement estimate.

Visit MyTRS and click Sign Up. Once you've created your online account, you can:

• View your TRS account information
• View annual statements
• Update beneficiaries
• Explore retirement benefits with the benefit calculator
• And More!

Designate Beneficiaries
TRS provides active member death benefits beginning on your first day of employment. Use MyTRS to name a beneficiary to receive these benefits.

Review Health Care Benefits

 Review your benefits and coverage if you're in TRS-ActiveCare.

Review the TRS Benefits Handbook

Learn all about your retirement plan benefits

Watch TRS' Member Education Video Series

Find answers to your common pension benefits questions.

Visit the Life Event Resource Kit

This resource explains decisions and steps you may need to take for various personal and professional milestones – including a New Hire section.

Attend an Introduction to TRS Presentation

Learn the ropes of your new retirement plan, including valuable benefits to look forward to.

Subscribe to TRS Email Notifications

Sign up to receive email updates on information of interest to you.

Are you an active member thinking about retirement? If so, this video is for you – tune in as we break down planning for retirement into three major steps! We’re here to provide a general timeline of the retirement process and share the steps you need to take to ensure the process is as easy as possible.

The link below will take you to the TRS website that provides you with guidance on planning for retirement 

Planning Retirement