Retirement Programs

UT Dallas > Office of Human Resources > Employees > Benefits > Retirement Programs

Office hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Dec. 19 & 20 (Thur.& Fri.), HR will work remotely and can be reached via phone, MS Teams, and email

Winter Break – UTD campus will be closed from Dec. 23, 2024 to January 2, 2025

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Mandatory Retirement Programs

UT Dallas benefits-eligible employees are required to enroll in a retirement plan with either the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) or the Optional Retirement Program (ORP). Employer contributions are made to these plans in addition to the contributions made by employees.

Eligibility: To be eligible to participate in TRS, an employee must be employed in a benefits-eligible position for at least 20 hours per week and 4 ½ continuous months. To be eligible to participate in ORP, an employee must: (1) initially be appointed on a full-time basis (40 hours per week) and 4 ½ or more; and (2) be appointed to a position otherwise eligible to participate in ORP.

UTSaver Voluntary Retirement Programs

Employees have the option to participate in additional UTSaver voluntary retirement programs, such as the UTSaver TSA-403(b) or the UTSaver DCP-457(b). These plans are based on employee contributions only; UT Dallas does not make employer contributions to these plans.

Eligibility: Anyone receiving a salary with UT Dallas is eligible to participate in the voluntary retirement program known as UTSaver. This includes graduate student employees, temporary employees, part-time employees, and return-to-work retirees.

Learn more about retirement program options on the UT System benefits site and through the resources below.

Retirement Planning Resources

Interested in learning more about retirement at UT Dallas? Watch this recorded session presented by Tina Sharpling, HRIS Manager from HR Employee Benefits Team, to learn about your options for when you retire from UTD.

Recorded session from June 20, 2023

Presentation slides

The road to retirement may seem long. But you'll top that hill and hopefully you are ready for what is on the other side. Join us for info about eligibility and options for retirement from UTD.

TRS Resources

ORP Resources

Retirement Planning & Process Guides