Optional Retirement Program

Eligibility

Eligible employees are notified of their ORP eligibility via an email from the HR benefits office. Eligibility is strictly determined by the job you perform and is not based on years of service or salary level. To be eligible to participate in ORP, an employee must: (1) initially be appointed on a full-time, continuous basis for 41/2 months or more; and (2) be appointed to a position otherwise eligible to participate in ORP. Here are a few examples of ORP eligible positions:

• Faculty members whose duties include teaching and/or research as a principal activity
• Faculty administrators responsible for teaching and research faculty
• Professional librarians
• Chief and senior administrative officials
• Specialized professional positions (such as physicians, engineers and attorneys)
• Athletic coaches and directors
• Counselors treated in the same manner as faculty

Enrollment

Enrollment in the ORP must be completed within a 90-day enrollment window that begins on the first day of eligibility. During those 90 days, employees will automatically default to TRS. The decision to enroll in ORP is a once in a lifetime, irrevocable decision. Employees who do not complete all of the ORP enrollment steps prior to the end of their 90-day enrollment window will continue participation with TRS for the duration of your career in Texas Public Higher Education. The four steps to completing the ORP enrollment process are as follows:

1. Choose your financial provider(s) from the authorized provider list.
2. Log onto UT Retirement Manager to enroll and activate your ORP payroll contributions. For assistance with logging on or to view a user guide and video, visit the Enroll – Retirement Manager page.
3. Contact your selected financial provider to open an account directly with them.
4. Complete and submit an original, signed, and notarized TRS Form 28 – Notice to Elect to Participate in Optional Retirement Program to the Benefits and Leave Management Human Resources office. Our Benefits Administrators are Notaries and can help you notarize the TRS Form 28.

Declining Enrollment

If you are eligible and wish to decline enrollment into the ORP, you must still complete and submit the ORP Acknowledgement Form that is sent to your email, prior to your enrollment deadline. If you sign and submit your Acknowledgement Form and do not complete all of the other enrollment steps, you will remain in the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) for the duration of your career in Texas Public Higher Education.

Vesting

The employee is vested and gains the employer contribution after one year and one day of ORP participation. Annuity at the time of retirement is based on the performance of investment funds. Federal tax law prohibits 403(b) plans from providing disability benefits. ORP participants that transition to a non-ORP eligible job title without meeting the vesting guidelines, will be placed in the TRS program indefinitely. There will not be an opportunity to return to ORP participation for the duration of any Texas Public Higher Education employment.

Contributions

ORP contributions are pre-tax and made through payroll deduction. Contribution rates are set by the Texas Legislature and are as follows:

Program	Employee Contributions	Employer Contributions
ORP	6.65%	8.5%

Resources

• Retirement Programs Summary
• TRS & ORP Overview
• Approved Providers
• Consultations with Approved Providers
• Educate Me
• Fund Performance