Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF)
The Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) is a defined benefit pension fund established in 1919, reorganized in 1955 and open to employees of boards of education and the State who must be certified or credentialed as a condition of employment. Membership in the TPAF for employees who meet eligibility requirements is mandatory.
Pension
TPAF eligible employees are required to contribute 7.5% of their annual base salary to their pension fund according to the Tier Chart and life insurance plan as a condition of your employment.
IMPORTANT: If you are a new hire and need to request a Pension Back Deductions Hardship Request, please complete the Pension Back Deductions Hardship Request form and send it to New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits Attn: Adjustment Section P. O. Box 295 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0295. Visit https://nboehrs.com/eligibility#new-hire for more information on eligibility and enrollment.
All members must have an MBOS account in order to apply for retirement. Visit https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/mbos-register.shtml, to register or if you need help registering. Alternatively, you call the MBOS Help Desk at (609) 777-0534.
Enrollment
Enrollment and Member Benefits Online System (MBOS) Registration
Members with Multiple User Roles
If you have MBOS access to other pension fund accounts or employer access to the Employer Pensions and Benefits Information Connection (EPIC), you will need to select the “user role” you wish to open each time you log on to MBOS or EPIC.
MBOS Guides
How to Designate a Beneficiary in MBOS
How to Find Your Pension Membership Number
MBOS Active Member Instructions
You may opt out of paying the premium for the Employee Group Contributory Life Insurance Plan after completing the first year. NBOE will continue to pay the Non-Contributory Group Life Insurance Premium. If you ever stop your life insurance premium payment you can never reinstate the policy. To apply, download the application by visiting https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/publications-list.shtml and submit it to benefits@nps.k12.nj.us.
For more detailed information about TPAF, visit https://nboehrs.com/resources/.
Transfer Information
Intrafund Transfers
An Intrafund Fund (also known as a Report of Transfer) happens when you stop working for one employer and are hired by another employer in a job that falls under the same retirement system. You continue to contribute to and earn service credit in the same account.
To be eligible for an Intrafund Transfer:
You must not have withdrawn from the TPAF; and
It must be less than two consecutive years since your last pension contribution; and
You must meet all the eligibility requirements of the TPAF with the new employer
Tier-to-Tier Transfer TPAF
If there has been a break in service of more than two years since your last pension contribution, you cannot contribute to your prior TPAF account. An application will be submitted to enroll you in a new TPAF account under the membership tier in effect at the time you return to TPAF employment.
However, if you are vested in your prior, inactive TPAF account, you may be able to transfer your old account to your new one. This type of transfer is called a “Tier-to-Tier Transfer.” You must submit a Tier-to-Tier Transfer Form. It is important to note that by submitting a Tier-to-Tier Transfer, you waive all rights to retirement benefits under the original account.
Interfund Transfers
An Interfund Transfer happens when you start a new job that falls under a different retirement system. This can be with the same employer or a new one. Your contributions and service credit are transferred from the former retirement system to the new one.
To be eligible for an Interfund Transfer:
- You must not have withdrawn from the retirement system;
- Your Application for Interfund Transfer must be received by the New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits within two years from the date of your last pension contribution; and
- You must meet all the eligibility requirements for the new retirement system with your new job.
*Additional rules and restrictions apply to Intrafund and Interfund Transfers. See the retirement system Member Guidebooks for detailed information.
Purchasing Service Credit
Since your retirement allowance is based partly on the amount of service credit posted to your account at the time you retire, purchasing additional service credit – if you are eligible to do so – may increase your pension amount or let you retire sooner.
IMPORTANT: Only active members of the retirement system are permitted to purchase service credit. Members on a leave of absence must return to active employment before they can request to purchase service credit.
Purchase Estimates
An online Purchase Estimate Calculator is available through MBOS.
To hear a Purchase Estimate over the phone, call the Automated Information System at
609-292-7524.
To learn more about purchasing service credit, see the Purchasing Service Credit Fact Sheet in the Pension Resources tab.
Withdrawal
If you have ended your NJ public employment, are not planning to return, and are not eligible to retire, you may withdraw your pension contributions. To withdraw the balance in a lump sum, you must no longer be working in any covered position.
If you are a “multiple member,” you cannot withdraw until you have terminated all jobs covered by the pension fund. By law, if you are on an approved leave of absence, withdrawal is not allowed. If you have a Workers’ Compensation claim or litigation pending or if you have been dismissed and you have an appeal pending, your application cannot be processed until NJPB receives the required information from NBOE.
To withdraw, you must complete the Application for Withdrawal through MBOS. Paper withdrawal applications are not accepted.
Once you apply for withdrawal, NBOE will be contacted to complete the Employer’s Certification for Withdrawal. Your withdrawal claim cannot be paid until a representative from the Office of Benefit Services has completed this form.
Pension Loans
For information regarding pension loans including eligibility, interest rates, repayment and more, visit https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/pension-loans.shtml.
Retirement Planning
Planning to retire? Learn and choose financial strategies that enable you to be comfortable and secure in your retirement years. A good retirement plan, executed smartly, can provide you with enough money to cover all of your later-year living expenses. Be sure to visit NJDPB’s Online Guide to Retirement for more information, https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/retirement.shtml.
In-Person Counseling Appointments
Be sure to schedule an appointment before visiting. Appointments are required for all interviews – walk-ins are not accepted. Appointments are limited to 30 minutes and a member may only have one scheduled appointment (in-person or video) per month. For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/counselor-appts.shtml.
For some helpful tips download this guide: Top 10 Ways to Prepare for Retirement.
Disability Retirement
For TPAF members in Tiers 1, 2 and 3
To qualify for Ordinary Disability retirement benefits you must:
- Have an active pension
- Have 10 or more years of New Jersey service credit in the pension system
- Be considered permanently and totally disabled (you must prove that you are physically or mentally incapacitated from performing your normal or assigned job duties for any other position with no possibility for significant improvement.
To qualify for Accidental Disability retirement benefits you must:
- Have an active pension account
- Be considered permanently and totally disabled (you must prove that you are physically or mentally incapacitated from performing your normal or assigned duties or any other position that your employer may assign.) as a “direct result of a traumatic event” (see definition below), that happened during and as a direct assault of carrying out your regular or assigned job duties;
- Be an active member of PERS or TPAF on the date of “traumatic event”;
- File an application for Disability Retirement within five years of the date of “traumatic event”
- Be examined by physicians selected by the retirement system at no cost to you; and
- Provide any and all accident reports, witness reports, and corroborating evidence on file for any and all accidents for which you are filing.
IMPORTANT: If you qualify for an Ordinary Disability retirement, the annual benefit is 43.6% of your Final Average Salary (FAS).
If you qualify for an Accidental Disability retirement, the annual benefit is 72.7% of your base salary at the time of traumatic event.
Long–Term Disability for TPAF members Tiers 4 and 5
Ordinary or Accidental Disability Retirement is not available to members enrolled in Tier 4 or 5 in TPAF. As an alternative benefit, Tier 4 and 5 actively contributing members of TPAF are eligible for employer-paid long term disability insurance coverage. The long-term disability insurance is administered for TPAF by Prudential.
For full eligibility requirements and more information, download the Disability Retirement Benefits fact sheet and and Eligibility Determination Application for PERS and TPAF.”
Retirement Benefits for TPAF Members with 25 Years or more of Service
NBOE retirees are eligible to return to the State Health Benefits Program under the School Employees Retirement System.
For retirees opting to enroll under retired benefits, effective January 1, 2022 the state health benefits will no longer accept paper applications to enroll under Medical-Dental and Prescription Retiree Benefits. Visit https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/hb-retired-sehbp.shtml for more information.
IMPORTANT: You will not be able to register under the http://mynjbenefitshub.nj.gov/ until your retirement has been approved by the state’s Board of Trustees. Upon approval you will receive your Quotation of Retirement Benefits and Retired Medical Benefits Offering Letter advising you to then enroll for your retirement benefits. You will be unable to register beforehand and will be displayed an error message saying it is not recognized. You have a 60-day window upon notification to enroll accordingly.
Visit https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/mbos-userguides.shtml to view the instructional guides for step-by-step tutorials to help you navigate the different retiree applications on MBOS
Death / Survivor Benefits
TPAF members can choose from a number of different Pension Options that allow you to leave a life-time survivor benefit to a beneficiary after your death. Fact sheets for Designating Beneficiary and Death of a Member can be found on the Pension Resources page.
For more information, watch the “Exploring Pension Options” from the NJDPB video library https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/videos.shtml
Pension docs
NJDPB MyNJBenefitsHub Retiree Benefits Info
Benefit Solver Retiree Q&A
