Definition

Purchase Eligibility/Requirements

Additional Information

Leave of Absence

A period of time during which you were absent from SURS-covered employment or worked fewer hours.  Your employer must approve your time away from work.

• The leave percentage must be greater than 50%.
• Must fulfill return to work requirements.
• Limited to paying for three years of leave in any 10-year period.
• The leave must be reported to SURS by your employer.
• You receive full service credit for Worker’s Compensation leaves, for the first 60 days of a Disability leave, and while receiving Disability benefit payments from SURS.  These types of leaves cannot be purchased

• For a leave without pay, you will receive no earnings or service credit for the period of the leave unless you submit payment for the forfeited contributions.
• For a leave with pay, you will continue to earn service credit.  You will receive full earnings credit for a Sabbatical leave but may not receive full earnings credit for other types of paid leave.   If you wish to obtain full earnings credit (non-Sabbatical leaves), you must make payment for the forfeited contributions.

Leave of Absence Fact Sheet

Military Leave of Absence

Service with the U.S. military that interrupts your SURS-covered employment. 

• Discharge type must be other than dishonorable.
• The payment period is limited to 3 times the length of the leave or 5 years, whichever is less.
• SURS must receive a copy of your DD-214 or other applicable military paperwork.
• The leave must be reported to SURS by your employer.

Upon receipt of your discharge papers, SURS will grant service credit for the period of the eligible military leave if you were not dishonorably discharged; however, you may still wish to make up the forfeited earnings and contributions.

Military Leave Contributions Fact Sheet

Military Service

Active duty service with the U.S. military that occurred prior to your SURS-covered employment.

• Discharge type must be other than dishonorable.
• Must have been active duty military service.
• No more than 2.0 years of military service may be purchased.
• SURS must receive a copy of your DD-214 or other discharge papers.

Cannot be used toward the 5.0 year requirement to receive employer matching funds in a Portable or Self-Managed Plan separation refund.

Military Eligibility Fact Sheet

Other Public Employment (OPE)

• Employment with a public school, college, or university in the U.S. 
• If your SURS-covered employment began prior to 09/01/1974, you may also purchase employment with the U.S. government

• Must have 5.0 years of eligible service following the period of OPE. 
• Must be prior to a period of SURS-covered employment.
• In most cases, the OPE must have been full-time employment.
• For this period of employment, you cannot qualify for a retirement pension or other benefits based on employer contributions from another retirement system (excluding Social Security).
• SURS must receive a completed Other Public Employment Affidavit.

Cannot be used toward the minimum vesting requirements of 5 years and 8 years for Tier I members or 10 years for Tier II members.          

Other Public Employment (OPE) Fact Sheet

Prior Service

Work with a SURS-covered employer during which you did not or were not eligible to contribute to SURS. 

• Must have been employed with a SURS-covered employer at 50% time or greater OR at 100% time if your SURS termination date is prior to 09/05/1975
• Must be prior to a period of SURS-covered employment.
• SURS must receive verification of the exact dates and percentages of employment from the applicable employer.

Prior Service Fact Sheet

Repay Refund

Repayment of a prior SURS separation refund.

You must earn 2.0 years of service credit with SURS or an eligible state of Illinois Reciprocal System following the date the original refund was paid by SURS.

• Repayment of a refund re-establishes your prior certification and termination dates as well as any benefits you may be entitled to based upon those dates.
• You are not required to repay the refund to use the refunded certification date toward Tier I eligibility (certification prior to 01/01/2011).

Repayment of Refund Fact Sheet