Educate Yourself

Eligibility for Membership

Who is eligible for TRS membership?

Individuals meeting the following criteria are required to become members of TRS as a condition of employment:

• Personnel who are employed one-half time or more in specific positions of the state’s public school systems, regional libraries, county libraries, and regional educational service agencies, such as:
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Supervisors
• Clerks
• Teacher aides
• Secretaries
• Paraprofessionals
• Public school nurses
• Employees of the Agricultural Extension Service
  
• All personnel employed one-half time or more by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia,  unless eligible for participation in an optional retirement plan administered by the Board of Regents.

Individuals eligible for TRS membership, but not required to join, include:

• Supervisory and/or managerial personnel in public school lunchrooms, maintenance, warehouse, and transportation departments.
• Certain employees of the State Department of Education.
• Certain employees of the Department of Technical and Adult Education.

Individuals ineligible for TRS membership include:

• Public school maintenance and custodial personnel, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers.
• Temporary or emergency employees.
• Substitute teachers.

Certain teachers who are age 60 or older at the time they become employed in covered positions may decline TRS membership only by notifying TRS in writing within 90 days of employment as a teacher.

Any vested member of the Employees' Retirement System (ERS) who accepts employment from an employer normally covered by TRS may elect to remain a member of ERS or to join TRS. A written election must be made to the respective retirement system within sixty days of such employment and is irrevocable once the election is made. Members and their employers will be required to make the appropriate contributions to the respective retirement system.