State Retirement Plans

  • All permanent, full-time and part-time employees must join a retirement plan unless specifically exempted by statute.
  • All newly hired adjunct and temporary employees may choose to join SCRS (South Carolina Retirement System) or the State ORP (Optional Retirement Plan). A decision must be made within 30 days from your date of hire.
  • Membership starts with your effective date of employment.
  • Please note that you will automatically be enrolled in the South Carolina Retirement System if you do not select a plan within 30 days.
  • In addition, if you already have contributions in an SCRS account, you must continue with that plan.

Options

Select your Retirement Handbook (pdf 508kb)

South Carolina Retirement Systems (SCRS) - Defined Benefit Plan

  • The SCRS is the traditional retirement plan for state and public school district employees, and employees of counties and cities that elect to participate in the Retirement Systems. SCRS provides members a guaranteed monthly pension based on a formula that includes your average final compensation, years of service, and a 1.82% benefits multiplier.
  • SCRS Member Handbook

Contributions

  • You contribute: tax-deferred 9.00% of gross pay into your SCRS retirement account.
  • Winthrop contributes: 16.89% on your behalf to the SCRS.

SCRS Incidental Death Benefit

  • If you die in-service with a least one year of service credit, a payment equal to your current annual earnable compensation will be paid to your designated beneficiary or trustee.
  • If your death results from a job related injury, the one-year requirement is waived.

Disability Retirement Information

  • A member of SCRS may be approved for disability retirement benefits from SCRS only if the member has first been approved for disability benefits from the federal Social Security Administration, which generally requires an incapacity to perform any gainful occupation.  You are able to find additional information in the SCRS Member Handbook.

Returning to Covered Employment

  • To return to work after you retire, you must first have a complete, bona fide severance or termination of employment.  After 30 days of retirement, you may be hired by an employer covered by the Retirement Systems to return to work.  For Class Two members the TERI period counts toward the 30-day break requirement.
  • Any retired member who is employed by an agency that adheres to state personnel policies will be exempt from the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act.  This means your employment is at will.
  • Working retired members must contribute a tax-deferred 8.66 percent of gross pay into their retirement account.  No additional service credit will be applied.

State Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) - Defined Contribution Plan

Contributions

  • You contribute: tax-deferred 9.00% of gross pay into your State ORP account, which is then invested in the products you select from offerings from your investment provider.
  • Winthrop contributes: 5% into your State ORP account, which is then invested in the products you select from offerings from your investment provider.

Changes

  • You may change your investment provider only during an open enrollment period which is January 1 through March 1.
  • State ORP participants may irrevocably elect to join SCRS during any open enrollment period (January 1 through March 1) after the first annual anniversary, but before the fifth annual anniversary of the person's initial enrollment in the State ORP.

State Incidental Death Benefit

  • If you die in-service with at least one year of service credit, a payment equal to your current annual salary will be paid to your designated beneficiary or trustee.
  • If your death results from a job-related injury, the one-year requirement is waived.

Police Officer Retirement Systems (PORS) - Defined Benefit Plan

  • Police officers, peace officers, firefighters, coroners, magistrates and probate judges are eligible for membership in PORS.
  • PORS Member Handbook (pdf 812kb)

Contributions

  • You contribute: tax-deferred 9.75% of gross pay into your PORS retirement account.
  • Winthrop contributes: 19.57% on your behalf to the PORS.

PORS Incidental Death Benefit

  • If you die in-service with at least one year of service credit, a payment equal to your current annual earnable compensation will be paid to your designated beneficiary or trustee.
  • If your death results from a job-related injury, the one-year requirement is waived.

PORS Accidental Death Benefit

  •  Provides a survivor annuity if you are covered and die as a result of an injury by external accident or violence incurred while undergoing a hazard peculiar to your employment while in the actual performance of duty, without willful negligence on your part.

Returning to Covered Employment

  • To return to work after you retire, you must first have a complete, bona fide severance or termination of employment. After 30 days of retirement, you may be hired by an employer covered by the Retirement Systems to return to work. 
  • Any retired member who is employed by an agency that adheres to state personnel policies will be exempt from the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. This means your employment is at will.
  • Working retired members must contribute a tax-deferred 9.75% of gross pay into their retirement account. No additional service credit will be applied.