If you were hired on or before July 1, 1984 and elected to participate in the State Employees Retirement System you are a member of Plan A, Plan B or Plan C of the Tier I plan. Membership was elected between October 1, 1973 and December 31, 1973 if you were hired prior to April 1, 1973; mandated thereafter by statute if you were hired prior to July 2, 1984, or elected by you in lieu of membership, if eligible, from TIER II or another state system, through October 1, 1985, the last date on which a transfer membership was allowed.

Dependent children are allowed on the medical and dental insurance through the age of 19. (An allowance may be made for disabled dependents to remain on the medical and dental insurance beyond the age of 19. This allowance must be coordinated between the employee, the insurance company and the Human Resources Department).

A dependent child’s medical coverage may continue between the ages of 19 – 23 if the child is attending an accredited college full time and submits the proper documentation to the Human Resources Department. Medical coverage will terminate for dependent children at the age of 23. The dependent child will be offered the option of purchasing medical coverage through COBRA regulations.

Dental coverage for dependent children must terminate at the age of 19. The dependent child will be offered the option of purchasing dental coverage through COBRA regulations.

For detailed information, please check http://www.osc.state.ct.us/empret/tier1summ/index.html

If you were first hired by the University (or the state) on or after July 1, 1984 you are a member of the non-contributory Tier II Plan, unless you were eligible to elect membership in another retirement plan.

For detailed information, please check http://www.osc.state.ct.us/empret/tier2summ/index.html

If you were first hired by the University on or after July 1, 1997, you are a member of the contributory Tier IIA Plan, unless you were eligible to elect membership in another plan.

For detailed information, please check http://www.osc.state.ct.us/empret/tier2asumm/index.html

Effective January 1, 2006 ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company (ING) was selected to act as a third-party administrator for the State of Connecticut Alternate Retirement Program. ING will be responsible for counseling participants on asset allocations, financial education, and record keeping for the retirement account. The annual administrative fee is .12% for ING services.

The Alternate Retirement Program (ARP) is a defined contribution plan. Participants in ARP must contribute 5% of their gross salary and the State will match 8% based on the employee’s gross salary.

The ING investment menu will offer participants 24 different options to invest in. These 24 investment options fall into four categories.

• A Stable Value Option: provides a periodically declared rate and a guaranteed minimum rate of 3.00%.
• Target Date Life Cycle Funds: a portfolio of investment options that track to a certain date for retirement.
• Passively Managed Index Funds: designed to mirror a specific market index.
• Actively Managed Funds: receive the attention of a portfolio or team manager who monitors the individual stock positions in their fund on a daily basis.

A fund fact sheet for each of the 24 funds is available at www.CTdcp.com (select ARP Plan Enhancements, then select Complete ING Transition Booklet).

The State of Connecticut Retirement and Benefits Services Division is responsible for the ongoing review of the Plan to make available developments in plan services, technology, education and investments.

Upon hire, participants in the ARP will have their asset allocations defaulted to the Connecticut Stable Value Fund. Upon receiving a confirmation letter of enrollment and PIN from ING, participants may make asset allocation changes via the website www.CTdcp.com and selecting Account Access, through a toll-free telephone number 1-800-584-6001, or through the agency’s assigned ING representative. An ING representative will visit Eastern Connecticut State University periodically and newly hired employees are encouraged to review their asset allocations with the representative.

Contact Information for ING:
Toll-free telephone: 1-800-584-6001
Via Internet: www.CTdcp.com

Check the link for Complete information about ARP.

The Teachers Retirement System is available to employees who, at the time of hire at ECSU, are employed as a teacher or professional staff member by the Commission for Higher Education in a state, community, state technical college, or university. As part of membership in the TRS, state law requires that contributions of 7% of your annual salary be paid into the retirement fund. You contribute 6% of your annual salary to your personal retirement account and 1% of your annual salary to the Health Insurance Account used to fund health insurance benefits for retired members and their spouses.

• Employee Handbook
• State Retirement and Benefits Services
• Social Security Administration
• ING
• TIAA-CREF
• Pension Benefits for Same Sex Domestic Partners