When an in-service Tier I member dies before becoming eligible for retirement under the Qualified Pension Plan (QPP), the death benefit would equal the member's Annuity Savings Fund (ASF) balance, Increased-Take-Home-Pay (ITHP) balance, and an amount based on his/her salary and years of Total Service Credit.

The following table shows how the member's Total Service Credit affects the death benefit payable.

Note: The member's salary is the average annual salary in the year immediately before the date of death. It is generally not affected by any approved leaves of absence with or without pay.

If the member was eligible for a service retirement at the time of death, or died within the first 30 days after retiring, the death benefit would be the greater of the amount indicated in the first paragraph above or a benefit based on the reserves that would have been payable under Option I Modified had the member retired on the day before he or she died. (Option I Modified is a retirement payment option that provides a lump-sum benefit to the designated beneficiary based on the member's available pension reserves.)

The code "TRS 414H STD" represents pre-tax QPP deductions.

The code "TRS 55 PRGM" represents pre-tax QPP deductions made under the Age 55 Retirement Program. (Only certain members in Tier II, III, and IV belong to this program.)

The code "TR PN LNS" represents QPP loan payments.

The code "TRS TDA" represents TDA contributions (including your contribution limit and any applicable "catch-up" contributions).

The code "TRS TDA LOAN" represents TDA loan payments.

The code "TRS BUYBACK" represents purchase of credit for prior or Amann service.

The code "TR PN ARR AT" represents mandatory payments for membership service deficits incurred for service performed before July 1989; these funds are not federally taxable upon distribution. (Tier III and IV members)

The code "TRS 414H ARR" represents mandatory payments for membership service deficits incurred for service performed after July 1989; these funds are federally taxable upon distribution. (Tier III, IV, and VI members)

In-service Tier I and II members under the QPP, all in-service TDA participants, and members with TDA Deferral status may file a new investment election change form or online equivalent; in this case, any 6-, 9-, or 12-month conversions in progress but not yet completed would stop as of the date the new election takes effect. However, any 1- and 3-month conversions in progress cannot be stopped because they would be completed by the next effective date.

For Tier I and II retirees under the QPP and all TDA Annuitants, in-progress conversions cannot be canceled before they are completed. However, they may submit a new investment election change form to make investment elections for any portion of their QPP or TDA funds that have not been affected by any in-progress investment election changes.

If you leave service after attaining vested rights under the QPP, you may withdraw your TDA Program funds or you may elect TDA Deferral status. If you leave service before attaining vested rights under the QPP, you may withdraw your TDA Program funds at any time. If you leave your funds with TRS, they would continue to accrue investment return for seven school years. However, if you withdraw your QPP funds, your TDA Program participation would automatically end, and TRS would distribute the value of your TDA or Roth account to you.

TRS issues a separate 1099-R form for each of the following types of distributions:

• Taxable excess withdrawals, including those taken at retirement;
• Defaulted loans and taxable loans taken at retirement;
• Advance payments from the Qualified Pension Plan (QPP);
• Retirement allowance payments from the QPP;
• Annuity payments from the Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) Program;
• TDA and QPP Direct Withdrawals and Direct Rollovers;
• TDA Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs);
• Death benefit payments;
• Lump-sum disability payments;
• Withdrawals of funds upon separation from service; and
• Refunds of erroneous contributions.

Generally, TRS issues a separate 1099-INT form for any interest payments associated with a distribution listed above. However, the full amount of any Direct Rollover is reported on a 1099-R form, including any portion of the Direct Rollover that is attributable to interest.

Generally, TRS issues a separate 1099-INT form for any interest payments associated with a distribution listed above. However, the full amount of any Direct Rollover is reported on a 1099-R form, including any portion of the Direct Rollover that is attributable to interest.

In-service Tier I and II members under the QPP, all in-service TDA participants, and members with TDA Deferral status may file a new investment election change form or online equivalent; in this case, any 6-, 9-, or 12-month conversions in progress but not yet completed would stop as of the date the new election takes effect. However, any 1- and 3-month conversions in progress cannot be stopped because they would be completed by the next effective date.

For Tier I and II retirees under the QPP and all TDA Annuitants, in-progress conversions cannot be canceled before they are completed. However, they may submit a new investment election change form to make investment elections for any portion of their QPP or TDA funds that have not been affected by any in-progress investment election changes.

QPP beneficiaries may annuitize a QPP benefit only if the deceased was a Tier I or Tier II member and the QPP benefit is at least $10,000. If the deceased was a Tier II member, the member must have died while still in service. Eligible beneficiaries of Tier I members must file to annuitize their death benefit by October 31 of the year following the year of the member’s death; beneficiaries of Tier II members must file to annuitize their death benefit within 90 days of the date of the member’s death.

TDA beneficiaries of members of any tier may annuitize a TDA benefit of $10,000 or more. Eligible beneficiaries must file to annuitize their TDA death benefit by October 31 of the year following the year of the member’s death.

For TDA beneficiaries of TRS members who died on or after January 1, 2022, there are additional eligibility requirements under the SECURE Act. At least one of the following must apply to beneficiaries who want to annuitize their TDA benefit:

1. They are the surviving spouse of the deceased member;
2. They are not more than 10 years younger than the deceased member;
3. They are chronically ill; or
4. They are disabled.

Yes. If you are a vested member, you would be eligible to begin receiving retirement allowance checks at age 55. If you are a nonvested member, your funds would continue to gain investment return for seven school years and, during that time, you may obtain another TRS-eligible position that enables you to maintain your membership.

Once you withdraw your funds from TRS, your current membership will cease. If, at a later date, you are reappointed to a TRS-eligible position, you would be treated as a new member and placed in the tier for new members.