Purchasing Service Credit

Members enrolled in the Defined Benefit Plan may be eligible to purchase additional STRS Ohio credit. Interested members should contact STRS Ohio directly with questions about eligibility, certification requirements and cost.

Some types of purchasable service require employer certification and/or employer contributions:

• Current fiscal year and past leaves of absence from Ohio public schools.
• Regular or substitute teaching in Ohio public schools, colleges and universities for which they did not previously contribute to STRS Ohio. (If the noncontributing service occurred after July 1, 1978, employers must pay the corresponding employer contributions and interest.)
• Other Ohio public service.
• Previously exempted or waived Ohio public service.
• Service as an Ohio public school board member.

Other types or purchasable service do not require employer certification or contributions:

• Regular military service in the U.S. armed forces.
• Interrupted teaching due to military service.
• Ohio National Guard or reserve military service.
• Teaching in a public school, college or university in another state.
• Teaching in a private school, college or university in the United States.
• Teaching in a school operated by or for the U.S. government.
• Other paid public service.
• Restoration or transfer of service between STRS Ohio and other Ohio retirement systems.

Members enrolled in the Defined Contribution Plan are not eligible to purchase service credit with the exception of Ohio teaching service interrupted by military service.

Members enrolled in the Combined Plan are eligible to purchase service credit for leaves of absence and Ohio teaching service interrupted by military service. These members may only purchase leaves of absence after they have made their permanent election to the Combined Plan.

All purchasable service credit must be certified before a member’s retirement date and purchased no later than three months following the members retirement effective date. There are three payment options for purchasing service credit:

1. Lump-sum payment by a check from the member made payable to STRS Ohio;
2. Payroll deduction, which is initiated by the member; or
3. A tax-deferred rollover from a retirement savings plan. Members should contact STRS Ohio directly for information about eligible retirement savings plans and rollover procedures.

If a member is purchasing service credit through payroll deduction, STRS Ohio will notify employers via email when a purchase service credit (PSC) report is ready to complete in ESS.