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State and Territorial Retirement Benefits
Earn retirement credit for your Peace Corps service
Some state and territorial governments allow their public employees and/or public-school teachers to apply the time they served in the Peace Corps to their state retirement benefits through a buy-back program, thus increasing their retirement benefits.
The term “buy back” in a retirement system refers to the purchase of credit for service accumulated while the RPCV is/was not a member of that retirement system. Most purchasable credit rewards such factors as “out-of-state service” or “prior service,” service committed before the RPCV’s enrollment in the state retirement system
An RPCV “purchases” or “buys” such credit because they must recompense the retirement system for those years of accumulated service credit in which the RPCV was not a contributing member to the retirement system.
Several states now allow retirement system members to purchase generic “air time” that, while not Peace Corps specific, allows up to 5 years of credit.
This information was accurate as of November 3, 2023, but these regulations do change frequently. Please use the contact information provided below to confirm.
Retirement benefits
Public Employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. Certification of service would need to be provided.
Contact information:
The Retirement Systems of Alabama
(877) 517-0020
Retirement benefits
Public Employees and Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back, claiming up to 10 years of service.
Contact information:
Alaska Division of Retirements and Benefits Public Employees Retirement System
(800) 821-2251
Claiming Service Credit:
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information:
Website Page Not Found: ASG Retirement Fund
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back (overseas service up to 10 years).
Contact information
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System
(501) 682-1517
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back if you are either:
- A public agency member (if your employer contractswith CalPERS to provide this option)
- A state or school active or inactive member
You cannot purchase Peace Corps service credit if:
- You're already retired
- You don't have certification of your dates of service
- Your public agency employer does not include this option in its contract
Contact information
California Public Employees' Retirement System - CalPERS
(888) 225-7377
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back but, because earnings during service is used to measure service, and the Peace Corps stipend is so small, only a little bit of time may be bought back.
Contact information
(800) 759-7372
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
Connecticut Teachers' Retirement Board
(800) 504-1102
Peace Corps Verification of Service Form:
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
Office of Pensions - State of Delaware
(800) 722-7300
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
District of Columbia Retirement Board
(202) 442-9700
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
(866) 446-9377
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Teachers Retirement System of Georgia – TRSGA
(404) 352-6500
Retirement benefits
Unknown
Contact information
Government of Guam Retirement Fund – GGRF
(671) 475-8900/01
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii
(808) 586-1735
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Welcome to Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho
(800) 451-8228
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
State Retirement Systems of Illinois
(217) 785-7444
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Indiana Public Retirement System
(844) 464-6777
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. RPCVs may purchase up to 5 years of IPERS service credit for previous Volunteer service if the RPCV is a vested or retired members of IPERS and has participated in IPERS for at least 5 calendar years.
Contact information
(800) 622-3849
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
(888) 275-5737
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
Kentucky Public Pensions Authority
(800) 928-4646
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Purchase Service - Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL)
(877) 275-8775
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. RPCVs may purchase up to 2 years of service credit, but it is expensive, and requires 15 years of service in Maine prior to purchase. MSRS members who terminate service as state employees or teachers prior to their Peace Corps service must return to state employment within 1 year of completing Peace Corps service.
Contact information
Maine Public Retirement System
(800) 451-9800
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Maryland State Retirement and Pension System - MSRA
(800) 492-5909
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back on a case-by-case basis.
Contact information
State Retirement Board | Mass.gov
(617) 367-7770 - Fill out form for USPHS and NOAA Corps members
Mass Teachers Retirement Board | Mass.gov
(617) 679-6877
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Office of Retirement Services (michigan.gov)
(800) 381-5111
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
MSRS - Minnesota State Retirement System
(800) 657-5757
Leaves: Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) (minnesotatra.org)
(800) 657-3669
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi
(800) 444-7377
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. Peace Corps service is purchasable after 1 year of teaching credit as a member of the PSRS. Requires agency verification of teaching in a public or private school setting.
Missouri State Employees' Retirement System
(800) 827-1063
Public School Retirement System
(800) 392-6848
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. Vested members may, at any time prior to retirement, buy membership service and service.
Credit for up to 5 years of the member's volunteer service in a United States service program, such as the Peace Corps. This type of service purchase is only available to PERS-DBRP members.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back if the person in question was an Education Volunteer.
Contact information
Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration
(877) 275-7372
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems
(800) 245-5712
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back. After five years of service in the system, however, members are eligible to purchase up to an additional 5 years of service credit.
Contact information
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF NEVADA
(866) 473-7768
Retirement benefits
Members who leave NHRS-covered employment to enter directly into the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps and return to NHRS-covered employment within 1 year following termination of the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps service may be eligible to purchase the lesser of (a) 2 years, (b) the member’s actual period of Peace Corps or AmeriCorps service or (c) 5 years minus the period of nonqualified service credit purchased.
Contact information
New Hampshire Retirement System
(603) 410-3500
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits
(609) 292-7524
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back on a case-by-case basis.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. Airtime can be purchased as well
Contact information
New Mexico Public Employees Retirement System
(800) 342-3422
New Mexico Educational Retirement Board
(866) 691-2345
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
If you think previous public employment (or military service) might qualify you for additional service credit, you must submit a request for the additional service before you retire.
Contact information
New York State and Local Retirement System
(866) 805-0990
NYC Employees' Retirement System
(877) 669-2377
New York State Teachers' Retirement System
(800) 348-7298
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
North Carolina Retirement System
(877) 627-3287
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps may be bought back under Previous Public Service.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System
(800) 803-7377
Teachers' Fund for Retirement Members
(701) 328-9885
PURCHASE OF REFUNDED TFFR SERVICE CREDIT UNDER DUAL MEMBERSHIP
Retirement benefits
Unknown
Contact information
(670) 664-1100
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back
The maximum credit that may be purchased is 5 years or an amount equal to your total Ohio retirement system service credit, whichever is less, if that out-of-state or federal service credit is not used for another retirement benefit (except Social Security for retired pay for non-regular service).
Contact information
Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
(800) 222-7377
ISL-F-Service-Credit-and-Contributing-Months.pdf (opers.org)
Purchasing Service Credit Fact Sheet - Teaching and Public Service, University (strsoh.org)
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. An active, contributing member of TRS may obtain out-of-state service credit for qualified employment while in the Peace Corps for at least 6 months.
Contact information
Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System
(800) 733-9008
Service Credit | Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System
(877) 738-6365
https://oklahoma.gov/trs/active-members/service-credit-purchase.html
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Oregon Public Employees Retirement System
(888) 320-7377
PERS: Tier One/Tier Two purchases: Nonretired members: State of Oregon
Retirement benefits
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. To apply, you and a personnel officer of the agency must complete the Application for Credit for United States Government Service (PSRS-631A). The personnel officer must also attach a copy of the job description.
Contact information
Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System
(888) 773-7748
Purchasing Service Credit (pa.gov)
(717) 787-8540
Guidelines For Completing Your Purchase of United States Government Service (pa.gov)
Retirement benefits
Unknown
Contact information
Administración de los Sistemas de Retiro de los Empleados del Gobierno y la Judicatura
(787) 777-1500
(787) 754-4545
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island
(401) 462-7600
Retirement benefits
Member of SCRS, PORS, GARS and JSRS: You must be an active member to be eligible to purchase additional service credit.
Public employees and teachers: Unknown, but likely. May be possible to purchase Peace Corps service under “public service” category.
Contact information
(888) 260-9430
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
RPCVs who are current, contributing members to SDRS may purchase up to 5 years of Peace Corps service at any time, contingent on documentation. A maximum of 5 years of airtime may be purchased.
Contact information
SDRS Landing - South Dakota Retirement System
(888) 605-7377
SDRS - Retirement Services - Earning Service / Service Purchase
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System
(800) 922-7772
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Employees Retirement System of Texas
(877) 275-4377
Purchasing Service Credit - For Retirement Groups 1, 2 and 3 (texas.gov)
Retirement benefits
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
Government Employees' Retirement System of the Virgin Islands
(877) 275-4377
Retirement information
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back. Peace Corps service is purchasable after 4 years in Utah’s system.
Contact information
(800) 695-4877
Retirement information
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
You may purchase retirement credit for service in the military, Peace Corps, or VISTA of up to 5 years of time (after completion of 15 years of service as a state or municipal employee, teaching in another state, teaching in a public or private school, or teaching service with the State of Vermont for which you received no retirement credit).
Contact information
Retirement Systems | Office of the State Treasurer (vermonttreasurer.gov)
(802) 828-2301
Retirement information
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
VRS Purchase of Prior Service | Virginia Retirement System (varetire.org)
(888) 827-3847
Types and Purchase Amounts of Prior Service | Virginia Retirement System (varetire.org)
Retirement information
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Contact information
State of Washington: Department of Retirement Systems
(800) 547-6657
Retirement information
Public employees: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back.
Teachers: Possibly. TRS members may be able purchase service credit for “public” school teaching service performed in another state, or for service as a teacher for employment with the federal government of the United States.
Contact information
West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (wvretirement.com)
(800) 654-4406
Retirement information
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps can be bought back.
Contact information
Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds | ETF
(877) 533-5020
Retirement information
Public employees and teachers: Time in the Peace Corps cannot be bought back, but currently employed, vested members have a one-time opportunity to purchase up to 5 years of qualified service.
Contact information
(307) 777-7691
