All benefits eligible employees are required, as condition of employment, to be a member of the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) or Optional Retirement Program (ORP). All benefits eligible employees are eligible to participate in TRS, but only employees holding certain positions are eligible to participate in the ORP.
A State contribution is made through the University toward the employee's chosen retirement plan (TRS or ORP), based on a percentage of the employee's gross salary. The employee is also required to contribute a specific percentage of his or her gross salary toward the retirement plan. The percentage rate for the State contribution and the rate for the employee contribution are set by the State Legislature. The employee's contribution is tax-deferred.
All new benefits eligible employees whose positions are not eligible, or who elect not to participate in ORP must enroll in the TRS program unless the employee is vested in ORP from another Texas State institution or another position. In that case, the employee is prohibited by State law from enrolling in TRS and must enroll in ORP.
A benefits eligible employee who begins employment at UHCL, and who at one time was eligible and participated in ORP at another Texas State institution, but subsequently became employed in the Texas Public School System and was required to return to TRS must enroll in TRS at the University, and is prohibited by State law from enrolling in ORP.
Employees may also participate in supplemental retirement plans, with no contribution from the State or University, through the State's Deferred Compensation Program and/or the University's Tax Deferred Annuity (TDA) Program.
