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Retirement Check-in

There are several retirement plans that employees participate in with the University of Alaska. Below is a high level overview along with direct links to more detailed areas of our website and contact information for each of our plans/vendors. 

If you are unsure which retirement plan(s) you are in, review and clicking on the "Benefits" drop down menu followed by "Current Summary."

Required Plans

• Optional Retirement Program (ORP)
  • Available to new Faculty and Executives who have never had the option to choose ORP before (previously available to new staff until 2015)
  • Employees contribute 8%, Â鶹´«Ã½ contributes 12%
  • Fund sponsors include TIAA, Fidelity, Lincoln and Corebridge (VALIC)
  • Call fund sponsor (link above) or Â鶹´«Ã½ Benefits with questions at 907-450-8242
    
    
• Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Defined Benefit (DB) Tier I, II, III
  • Available to staff (specific hire years apply)
  • Employees contribute 8%, Â鶹´«Ã½ contributes percentage of employee's salary as determined annually by PERS and the Division of Retirement and Benefits (DRB)
  • Managed by the State of Alaska
  • Call the DRB with questions at 1-800-821-2251
    
    
• Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Defined Contribution (DC) Tier IV
  • Available to staff
  • Employees contribute 8%, Â鶹´«Ã½ contributes 5%
  • Managed by the State of Alaska with Empower as the fund sponsor
  • Call the DRB with questions at 1-800-821-2251
    
    
• Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Defined Benefit (DB) Tier I, II
  • Available to faculty (specific hire years apply)
  • Employees contribute 8%, Â鶹´«Ã½ contributes percentage of employee's salary as determined annually by TRS and the DRB
  • Managed by the State of Alaska
  • Call the DRB with questions at 1-800-821-2251
    
    
• Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Defined Contribution (DC) Tier III
  • Available to faculty
  • Employees contribute 8%, Â鶹´«Ã½ contributes 7 %
  • Managed by the State of Alaska with Empower as the fund sponsor
  • Call the DRB with questions at 1-800-821-2251
    
    
• Â鶹´«Ã½ Pension Plan
  • Supplemental plan offered with PERS, TRS, and ORP (few exceptions apply)
  • Â鶹´«Ã½ contributes 7.65% up to a $52,000 base wage (maximum contribution of $3,978 per calendar year)
  • Fund sponsors include TIAA, Fidelity, Lincoln and Corebridge (VALIC)
  • Call fund sponsor (link above) or Â鶹´«Ã½ Benefits with questions at 907-450-8242

Supplemental Plans

• 403(b) - Voluntary
  
  • Supplemental voluntary plan to set aside pre-tax or post-tax dollars for retirement (post-tax available through TIAA only)
  • Employee contributions allowed up to the IRS maximum limits for the year
  • Fund sponsors include TIAA, Fidelity, Lincoln, Corebridge (VALIC), American Funds Group, Vanguard, and VOYA
  • Call fund sponsor (link above) or Â鶹´«Ã½ Benefits with questions at 907-450-8242
• 457(b) - Voluntary (for Executives only)
  • Supplemental voluntary plan to set aside pre-tax dollars for retirement
  • Available to Executives who are contributing the full IRS limit for the calendar year to the voluntary 403(b) first; additional contributions to the 457(b) then allowed up to the IRS maximum limits for the year
  • Fund sponsor is TIAA
  • Call fund sponsor (link above) or Â鶹´«Ã½ Benefits with questions at 907-450-8242

Emailed via benefits newsletter on 4/15/2025, 4/22/2025.
Contact Benefits: (907) 450-8242 | ua-benefits@alaska.edu | schedule one-on-one time