- Employee Benefits Overview
- Adjunct Faculty & Temporary Employee Benefits Information
- Beneficiary Changes
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Graduate Assistant Health Insurance
- Health Insurance
- Paid Time Off Benefits
- Retirement
- Retirement Planning
- State of CT Defined Contribution Plans (403(b) and 457)
- Supplemental Insurance
- Tuition Benefits
Retirement Plans
Each eligible State of Connecticut employee is required to be enrolled in a retirement plan (see eligibility chart, below). The Office of the State Comptroller offers four different retirement plans, depending on eligibility.
Retirement Plan Eligibility, by Audience
Audience | SERS | Hybrid | ARP |
Management / Confidential | Yes | Yes | Yes |
UCPEA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
AAUP & Law School Faculty | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Adjunct Faculty* | No | No | Yes |
Post-Docs | No | No | No |
NP-2 | Yes | No | No |
NP-3 | Yes | No | No |
NP-5 | Yes | No | No |
Graduate Assistants / Interns / Fellows | No | No | No |
Special Payroll | No | No | No |
* Part-time adjunct faculty members may elect to waive retirement plan membership. A part-time adjunct's election to waive is irrevocable. |
Employees must elect their chosen retirement plan on or before their first day of employment. If an employee fails to elect a retirement plan, the State will default the employee into a retirement plan, as shown below.
Default Retirement Elections Chart, by Applicable Bargaining Unit
UConn - Faculty* | AAUP | ARP |
UConn - Non-Faculty | UCPEA | Hybrid |
UConn - Unclassified Non-Union | Management / Confidential | SERS Tier IV |
* Part-time adjunct faculty members may elect to waive retirement plan membership. A part-time adjunct's election to waive is irrevocable. |
The SERS Tier IV retirement plan is available to all state employees, both full- and part-time. It is a defined benefit plan (pension) based on years of service and salary.
Employees contribute 5% (hazardous duty employees contribute 8%), plus up to an additional 2% for adverse actuarial performance. There is a mandatory 1% contribution to 401a, which the State matches.
An employee must serve for 10 years to vest in SERS Tier IV.
SERS Tier IV Retirement Plan
Type of Plan |
Defined Benefit |
Eligibility | State Employees (full- and part-time) |
Employee Contribution | 1. 5% of compensation (pre-tax) 2. Mandatory 1% of compensation (pre-tax) to a defined contribution plan |
Employer Contributions | 1. Actuarially determined 2. 1% of compensation (pre-tax) to a defined contribution plan |
Benefit Calculation | Formula based, in part, on average of 5 highest years earnings and years of service. |
Investment Method | Professional Managed |
Investment Risk | Employer |
Earliest Benefit Eligibility | Age 58 +10 years of vesting service |
Normal Retirement Age | Age 63, 25 years of vesting service Age 65, 10 years of vesting service |
Disability Retirement | Yes, at any time for service-related disability. If unrelated to service, 10 years of vesting service required. |
Minimum Vesting Period | 10 years vesting service |
Benefit Form | Lifetime monthly benefit payment |
Cost of Living Adjustments | Yes |
Additional Employee Contributions? | No |
Pre-Retirement Death Benefit? | Spousal benefit, if employee met age and service required for immediate retirement or completed 25 years of service (at any age). If not, contributions are refunded. |
Purchase of Service Credit | Allowed (restrictions apply) |
Rollovers from other retirement plans? | No |
Limit on wages used to calculated contributions | $270,000 (2017) |
Employee Social Security & Medicare Participation | Both |
Portability | None |
More Information | www.osc.ct.gov/rbsd/stateretire.htm |
The State Employees Retirement System Hybrid Plan (Hybrid) is available to AAUP, UCPEA, Management/Confidential, and Law School Faculty. It is a defined benefit plan (pension) with a cash-out option. Employees contribute 8%, plus an additional 2% for adverse actuarial performance. There is a mandatory 1% contribution to 401a, which the State matches.
Employees must serve for 10 years to vest in the Hybrid Plan. At retirement, vested employees have a choice of a SERS benefit (pension) or a cash out employee contributions. If the cash out option is chosen, the employee receives their contributions, plus a 5% State match, plus 4% interest.
- Plan Document
- Enrollment Form
- Beneficiary Form
State Employees Retirement System Hybrid Plan
Type of Plan |
Defined Benefit with a "CashOut" Option |
Eligibility | Teachers and professional staff memebers within CT higher education system and central office of Department of Higher Education |
Employee Contribution | 1. 8% of compensation (pre-tax) 2. Mandatory 1% of compensation (pre-tax) to a defined contribution plan |
Employer Contributions | 1. Actuarially determined 2. 1% of compensation (pre-tax) to a defined contribution plan |
Benefit Calculation | Formula based, in part, on average of 5 highest years earnings and years of service. |
Investment Method | Professional Managed |
Investment Risk | Employer |
Earliest Benefit Eligibility | Age 58 +10 years of vesting service |
Normal Retirement Age | Age 63, 25 years of vesting service Age 65, 10 years of vesting service |
Disability Retirement | Yes, at any time for service-related disability. If unrelated to service, 10 years of vesting service required. |
Minimum Vesting Period | 10 years vesting service |
Benefit Form | Lifetime monthly benefit payment OR One-time, lump-sum "cash out" |
Cost of Living Adjustments | Yes, if lifetime monthly benefit payment elected |
Additional Employee Contributions? | No |
Pre-Retirement Death Benefit? | Spousal benefit, if employee met age and service required for immediate retirement or completed 25 years of service (at any age). If not, contributions are refunded. |
Purchase of Service Credit | Allowed (restrictions apply) |
Rollovers from other retirement plans? | No |
Limit on wages used to calculated contributions | $270,000 (2017) |
Employee Social Security & Medicare Participation | Both |
Portability | None |
More Information | www.osc.ct.gov/rbsd/stateretire.htm |
The Alternate Retirement Program (ARP) is available to AAUP, UCPEA, Management/Confidential, and Law School Faculty. It is a defined contribution plan.Employee contribute 5% or 6.5%, which the State matches 6.5%.
Administered through Prudential, employees direct how monies are invested. Vesting is immediate.
Long-Term Disability Coverage is provided to ARP members at no cost to the employee.
- Plan Document
- Enrollment Form
- Beneficiary Form
Alternate Retirement Program (ARP)
Type of Plan |
Defined Contribution |
Eligibility | Teachers and professional staff members within CT higher education system and central office of Department of Higher Education |
Employee Contribution | 6.5% of compensation (pre-tax); employees may elect to contribute 5% of compensation (pre-tax) |
Employer Contributions | 6.5% of compensation |
Benefit Calculation | Based, solely, on contributions and investment performance |
Investment Method | Employee-directed through menu of mutual or annuity funds |
Investment Risk | Employer |
Earliest Benefit Eligibility | Age 55 (applies to employees with 5 or more years of participation |
Normal Retirement Age | Age 65 |
Disability Retirement | No; employer-provided disability insurance policies. May continue 13% contributions to plan during disability. |
Minimum Vesting Period | None (immediate) |
Benefit Form | Flexible (lump sum, periodic, or monthly payment) |
Cost of Living Adjustments | Not applicable |
Additional Employee Contributions? | No |
Pre-Retirement Death Benefit? | Account balance payable to spouse or named beneficiary, as applicable |
Purchase of Service Credit | Not applicable |
Rollovers from other retirement plans? | Allowed |
Limit on wages used to calculated contributions | $270,000 (2017) |
Employee Social Security & Medicare Participation | Both |
Portability | Yes, if employee separates from service before 5 years of plan participation |
More Information | www.CTdcp.com |
- Plan Document
- Enrollment Form
- Beneficiary Form
Teachers Retirement System (TRS)
Type of Plan |
Defined Contribution |
Eligibility | State employees in a position requiring CT teaching certification or employees teaching in CT higher education system (half-time or more). There may be CBA limitations. |
Employee Contribution | 7.25% of compensation (pre-tax), excluding earnings from coaching, summer school, or non-teaching. |
Employer Contributions | Actuarially determined |
Benefit Calculation | Formula based on average of 3 highest years earnings multiplied by years of service. |
Investment Method | Professionally managed |
Investment Risk | Employer |
Earliest Benefit Eligibility | 20 years of service (15 in CT), age 55 25 years of service (20 in CT), any age |
Normal Retirement Age | Age 60 + 20 years of CT service Any age, 35 years of service (25 in CT) |
Disability Retirement | Yes, disability allowance available |
Minimum Vesting Period | 10 years CT service |
Benefit Form | Monthly benefit payment |
Cost of Living Adjustments | Yes |
Additional Employee Contributions? | Yes, into Voluntary Account (after tax only) |
Pre-Retirement Death Benefit? | Spousal benefit payable if employee met age and service requirements for retirement. If not, survivorship benefit will be paid. |
Purchase of Service Credit | Allowed (restrictions apply) |
Rollovers from other retirement plans? | No |
Limit on wages used to calculated contributions | $270,000 (2017) |
Employee Social Security & Medicare Participation | Medicare only |
Portability | None |
More Information | www.CTdcp.com |
- Plan Document
- Enrollment Form
- Beneficiary Form
- Waiver of Retirement Plan Participation for Adjunct Faculty
457 Plan Eligibility
Employees are eligible to enroll in the plan on their first day of employment, provided they are age 18 or over. The minimum contribution is $20 per pay period.
Additional information, including plan highlights and enrollment forms, are available at http://www.ctdcp.com or call 1-844-505-7283.
403(b) Plan Eligibility
Employees are eligible to enroll in the plan on their first day of employment, provided they are age 18 or over. The minimum contribution is $200 annually, which equals $8 per pay period. While the 403(b) is not available to all State of Connecticut employees, UConn employees (including UConn Health) are eligible to enroll.
Additional information, including plan highlights and enrollment forms, are available at http://www.ctdcp.com or call 1-844-505-7283.
How to Enroll
Enrollment in either plan is open all year. Prudential representatives can assist you in completing an enrollment form and discuss the investment options available to you. You may also obtain an enrollment form online at http://www.ctdcp.com or call 1-844-505-7283.