Your retirement plan depends on the type of appointment you hold. If you hold a staff appointment, you need to know whether your position is professional staff or classified staff. If you are unsure of your appointment type, ask your supervisor, department administrator, or your payroll coordinator.

Special Situations - Contact the Benefits Office to discuss your retirement plan choices if:

• You previously participated in a Washington state retirement plan;
• You are moving from a PERS, state-sponsored retirement plan to a UW retirement eligible position, or vise versa;

• Staff who transferred from another Washington state higher education institution.
  Note: If you are hired into a PERS-eligible position, but you were participating in a Washington state public Higher Education Retirement Plan with another higher education institution (CWU, EWU, SBCTC, TESC, WSU, WWU), you may be eligible to participate in the University of Washington Retirement Plan (UWRP) instead of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). In this case you may be eligible to participate in UWRP instead of PERS regardless of your appointment type.

UW Benefits Office
benefits@uw.edu
206-543-2800

UWRP Retirement Plan

Faculty, academic staff, librarians, and professional staff who work at least half time for at least six consecutive months in an eligible position participate in the UWRP. The UWRP is a tax-deferred, defined-contribution, employee-matched retirement plan. Employee contributions are matched 100% by the UW. Vesting is immediate - you own your own and the UW's matching contributions immediately upon enrollment.

Department of Retirement Systems Plans

For contract classified and classified non-union staff.

PERS Plans 1, 2 and 3

Your plan membership is based on your original date of employment in eligible state service.

PERS Plan 1 is CLOSED to new participants. It is ONLY for employees who established plan membership before October 1, 1977.

PERS Plan 2 is for employees who established membership on or after October 1, 1977. It is an employer funded, defined benefit plan.

PERS Plan 3 is available to employees who established PERS membership on or after March 1, 2002, or for earlier PERS Plan 2 members who chose to transfer to a plan that offers a combination of employer-funded defined benefits and employee-funded defined contributions.

Teachers' Retirement System Plan 1 (TRS)

This plan is only available to employees who first established TRS membership before October 1, 1977 as a certificated teacher in the public schools. It is closed to new participants. You may remain a member of TRS 1 if you have already established TRS 1 membership and you transfer to UW employment. If you are in this situation, contact the Benefits Office at benefits@uw.edu or 206-543-2800, for retirement plan enrollment. You may wish to explore the University's Voluntary Investment Program (VIP), a tax-deferred retirement savings program.

Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System Plan 2 (LEOFF)

This plan is for full-time commissioned UW police officers.

Select Your Retirement Plan Enrollment

To begin the enrollment process, select the link below for your appointment type.

• Faculty, Academic Staff, Librarians, Professional Staff
• Classified Staff
• UW Police Officers

• uwhr@uw.edu |
• HR Contacts

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