Did you join VSTRS before July 1, 1981?
Yes: Group A (closed to new members). No: you're in Group C. Go on.
16 V.S.A. § 1931(10)(A); 16 V.S.A. § 1933(a); Treasurer, Pension Group Plan Comparison (Mar. 16, 2021), p. 2On June 30, 2010, were you 57 or older?
Yes: Group C #1 (grandfathered). No: go on.
Group C #1 handout, p. 1; 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)(2); 2025 valuation, p. 57, Exhibit HOn June 30, 2010, did you have 25 full years of service?
Yes: Group C #1 (grandfathered). No, or you joined later: Group C #2 (non-grandfathered).
Group C #2 handout, p. 1; 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)(3); 2025 valuation, p. 57, Exhibit HCheck it with your dates
Enter your dates to see your group.
The groups side by side
| Group | Who | Unreduced | Early | Per year | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | Before July 1, 1981 | Age 60, or 30 years | From 55, actuarial cut | 1/60 (1.67%) a year | — |
| Group C #1 (grandfathered) | July 1, 1981 on, and age 57 or 25 years on June 30, 2010 | Age 62, or 30 years | From 55 with 5 years; 6% a year under 62 | 1.67% a year | 53.34% |
| Group C #2 (non-grandfathered) | July 1, 1981 on, and under 57 with under 25 years on June 30, 2010 (or joined later) | Age 65, or rule of 90 | From 55 with 5 years; actuarial cut each month under 65 | 1.67%, then 2% after 20 years | 60% |
Group A's maximum and minimum benefit rules aren't modeled here. Sources: 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)(1); 2025 valuation, p. 57, Exhibit H; 2025 valuation, p. 58, Exhibit H (Group A: annuity plus pension equal to 1/60th of AFC times creditable service); Treasurer, Pension Group Plan Comparison (Mar. 16, 2021), p. 5 (Group A 1.67% x creditable service); 16 V.S.A. §§ 1937(b)(1)-(2), 1951; Group C #1 handout, p. 1, Normal Retirement (age 62 or 30 years of service at any age); 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)(2); 2025 valuation, p. 57, Exhibit H; Group C #1 handout, p. 1, Early Retirement, and p. 3 (6% for every year under 62, or 1/2% for every month); 16 V.S.A. § 1937(g)(1); 2025 valuation, p. 59, Exhibit H; Treasurer, Pension Group Plan Comparison (Mar. 16, 2021), p. 5; Group C #2 handout, p. 1, Normal Retirement (age 65 or age plus service credit equals 90); 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)(3); 2025 valuation, p. 57, Exhibit H; Group C #2 handout, p. 1, Early Retirement (an actuarial reduction is made for each month under the age of 65), and p. 3; 16 V.S.A. § 1937(g)(2); 2025 valuation, p. 59, Exhibit H; Vermont Retirement Systems Defined Benefit Plan Comparison Chart (Apr. 9, 2026), p. 1 (Early Retirement Reduction: Varies)
Is there a newer group?
No teacher group newer than Group C exists. Act 114 of 2022 added a new group only for State employees (VSERS Group G, for certain corrections, juvenile-facility and State Hospital employees); for teachers it changed contributions and COLA rules, not the groups. Act 131 of 2026 lists no group, formula or eligibility change. The Jan. 1, 2027 COLA notice lists only Group A and Groups B and C for the Teachers' System, while the State System has Groups A to G. Act 114 did split Group C's COLA rules at June 30, 2022; that is a COLA cohort, not a new group. Act 114 (2022) act summary, pp. 1-2; Act 114 (2022) as enacted, pp. 53-80, Secs. 18-26; Act 131 (2026) act summary, pp. 1-2; 2027 COLA notice, pp. 1-2 (State System Groups A-G; Teachers' System Group A, Groups B and C)
See the COLA guide for what the 2022 split means.
Your group depends on your age and service on June 30, 2010.
If you don't enter your service on that date, we assume you worked without a break from the date you joined.
Group C #2 handout, p. 1; 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)What the sources say
- Vermont public school teachers, principals and other licensed educators belong to the Vermont State Teachers' Retirement System (VSTRS). Membership is a condition of employment.16 V.S.A. §§ 1931(20), 1933(a)
- Your rules depend on your group. Group A is for members who first joined before July 1, 1981; it is closed to new members. Everyone else is in Group C. That includes former Group B members (joined July 1, 1981 through June 30, 1990) who were in service on June 30, 1990 or came back later.16 V.S.A. § 1931(10); Treasurer, Pension Group Plan Comparison (Mar. 16, 2021), p. 2
- Group C has two sets of rules. If on June 30, 2010 you were age 57 or older, or had 25 full years of service, you are Group C #1 (often called 'grandfathered'). If you were under 57 with less than 25 years then, or joined after that date, you are Group C #2.Group C #1 handout, p. 1; Group C #2 handout, p. 1; 16 V.S.A. § 1937(a)(2)-(3)
- There is no teacher group newer than Group C. Act 114 of 2022 added a new group only for State employees, and Act 131 of 2026 made no group change. The Jan. 1, 2027 COLA notice lists only Group A and Groups B and C for teachers.Act 114 (2022) act summary, pp. 1-2; Act 131 (2026) act summary, pp. 1-2; 2027 COLA notice, p. 2
- Act 114 did split Group C's cost-of-living rules: members who first become eligible for normal retirement and leave on or after July 1, 2022 wait longer for their first COLA and have a lower maximum. That is a COLA rule, not a new group.16 V.S.A. § 1949(c)(1)-(2), (d)(2); Act 114 (2022) as enacted, pp. 70-72, Sec. 23
Your group also sets how much early retirement costs, and your 2010 service also helps set your retiree health tier. Once you know your group, the calculator uses it for every estimate.
Questions
Am I Group C #1 or Group C #2?
It depends on where you stood on June 30, 2010. If you were 57 or older, or had 25 full years of service, you are Group C #1. Otherwise, including if you joined after that date, you are Group C #2.
Is there a newer group for teachers hired after 2022?
No. Act 114 of 2022 added a new group only for State employees. For teachers it changed contributions and the cost-of-living rules for people who become eligible to retire after June 30, 2022, but everyone joining now is Group C #2.
What happened to Group B?
Group B was for members who joined from July 1, 1981 through June 30, 1990. Members still in service on June 30, 1990 (or who came back later) became Group C. Their service before July 1, 1990 still earns 1.25% a year.
Source: VSTRS Eligibility for Retirement: Group C #2 handout (Office of the State Treasurer), undated (PDF of Sept. 21, 2012), with 16 V.S.A. chapter 55 as of the 2026 session, pp. 1, 3; Group C #1 handout pp. 1, 3; 2025 valuation pp. 57, 58, 59; Act 114 (2022) pp. 1, 2, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80; Act 131 (2026) pp. 1, 2; 2027 COLA notice pp. 1, 2; Vermont Retirement Systems Defined Benefit Plan Comparison Chart p. 1; 16 V.S.A. §§ 1931, 1933, 1937, 1949, 1951. Last reviewed .