1Grandfathered
Joined before Sept. 1, 2007
5+ years by Aug. 31, 2014
- Salary average
- Highest 3 years
- Full benefit
- Age 65 with 5+ years · or Rule of 80, any age
- When did your current TRS membership begin? Your first day in a TRS-covered job, or your first day back after a refund.
- Are you grandfathered? Yes if, as a member before Sept. 1, 2005, you were 50+, your age plus service was 70+, or you had 25+ years.
- Did you have 5+ years of service on Aug. 31, 2014? Anyone who joined on or after Sept. 1, 2014 did not.
2
Joined before Sept. 1, 2007
5+ years by Aug. 31, 2014
- Salary average
- Highest 5 years
- Full benefit
- Age 65 with 5+ years · or Rule of 80, any age
3
Joined Sept. 1, 2007 – Aug. 31, 2014
5+ years by Aug. 31, 2014
- Salary average
- Highest 5 years
- Full benefit
- Age 65 with 5+ years · or Rule of 80 at 60+
4Grandfathered
Joined Sept. 1, 2007 – Aug. 31, 2014
5+ years by Aug. 31, 2014
- Salary average
- Highest 3 years
- Full benefit
- Age 65 with 5+ years · or Rule of 80 at 60+
5
Any membership date*
Under 5 years by Aug. 31, 2014*
- Salary average
- Highest 5 years
- Full benefit
- Age 65 with 5+ years · or Rule of 80 at 62+
6Grandfathered
Any membership date*
Under 5 years by Aug. 31, 2014*
- Salary average
- Highest 3 years
- Full benefit
- Age 65 with 5+ years · or Rule of 80 at 62+
* Tiers 5 and 6 cover everyone who didn't have 5 years of service on Aug. 31, 2014, including everyone who joined after that date. Every tier needs at least 5 years to retire and uses the same formula: 2.3% × years × average salary.
Worked exampleA teacher hired in 2003 at age 30 was 32 with 2 years on Sept. 1, 2005: not grandfathered (32 + 2 = 34). They had 11 years by Aug. 31, 2014. Joined before 2007, not grandfathered, 5+ years by 2014: Tier 2. Full benefit under the Rule of 80 at any age. Try this teacher in the calculator (retiring June 2029 on a $60,000 average).
Your tier matters most if you retire early: in the higher tiers, meeting the Rule of 80 before the minimum age still means a cut, shown in the early retirement reduction table. It also decides whether you can take a Partial Lump Sum Option. If you're close to a milestone, see what one more year adds.
Questions
How do I find my TRS tier?
Your tier depends on three things: when your current TRS membership began, whether you were grandfathered under 2005 law, and whether you had at least five years of service credit on Aug. 31, 2014. Your tier is also printed on your annual TRS statement.
What does grandfathered mean for TRS?
You're grandfathered if, while a TRS member before Sept. 1, 2005, you were at least 50, your age plus service totaled at least 70, or you had at least 25 years of service. Grandfathered members (Tiers 1, 4 and 6) have their benefit based on their highest three salaries instead of five.
Source: TRS Benefits Handbook, September 2025, pp. 24-31. Last reviewed .