Cooperative Extension Service
Departments
Human Resources - Group Benefits
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS)
General Information - APERS is a defined benefit plan. It is governed by a
board of trustees consisting of ex-officio members who are elected state
officials and active & retired members of the system appointed by the Governor.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service contributes a
percentage (determined by APERS) of your total salary. July 1, 2005 APERS
offered a contributory plan. All new enrollees in APERS are required to
contribute 5% of their annual salary to their retirement account. If you are a
current non-contributory participant in APERS and are transferring with less
than a six months break in service, you may continue to be non-contributory.
This is a permanent election. However, you may make contributions through a
Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) with TIAA-CREF or Fidelity. To receive
more information about an SRA, you may contact the Human Resources Office,
TIAA-CREF at 1-800-842-2776, or Fidelity at 1-800-343-0860.
Vesting - You must participate in APERS for 5 years before benefits are
vested (owned by you).
Retirement Benefits - In determining retirement benefits, there are age and
length of service requirements:
1. Full benefit at age 65 with a minimum of 5 years of credited
service.
2. Full benefit at age 55 with a minimum of 35 years of credited
service.
3. Full benefit at any age with 28 years of actual service.
Benefits Formula – The benefit formulas can be found on APERS’s website.
Disability - You may receive a disability annuity when totally and
permanently disabled if you have at least 10 years of credited service and if
you have credit for service in 18 of the 24 months immediately preceding the
onset of your disability.
Death Benefits - If you have at least five years of credited service, with
credit for the year immediately preceding death, a monthly benefit can be
payable to your spouse, dependent children, or dependent parents either
immediately or at some future date.
Resignation Prior to Normal Retirement Age - If you resign and have less than
five years of credited service, there are no benefits available. If you are
vested (five years or more of credited service), a deferred annuity will be
payable to you at age 55 (reduced annuity) or age 65 (full benefit).
Prior Credited APERS Service - When you have five years of credited service
in APERS, eligible service rendered to any public employer in the State of
Arkansas may be purchased for credit in APERS. (Service eligible for another
state’s authorized plan may not be purchased.) After attaining 10 years of
credited service in APERS, you may purchase up to five years of active duty
military service credit. Under some circumstances, military service during a
national emergency may be credited at no cost.
APERS has a reciprocal agreement with Teacher, Highway, and State Police
Retirement Systems. Total service credited in these systems will count toward a
member’s vesting for benefits from APERS.
Previous years credited in TIAA-CREF can be counted along with credited
service in APERS to vest for benefits. However, benefits paid by APERS will be
based only on credited service and earnings in employment covered by APERS.
For More Information - This explanation of APERS does not replace the actual
laws governing the payment of benefits described. For additional information,
contact the Human Resources Office, or the APERS office directly:
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement
System
One Union National Plaza, Suite 400
124 West Capitol Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 682-7800 or 1-800-682-7377
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APERS Enrollment Checklist
Membership Data Form
(PDF)
- To enroll, contact the Human Resources Office to obtain an enrollment
form, complete and return the enrollment form to the Human Resources Office
within 31 days of your date of hire.
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Group Benefits
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