FAQs

Information about FCPS health insurance benefits can be found on FCPS' Retirees page. There you'll find Retiree Benefits Publications and Resources, including Retiree Benefits Handbooks, Premium Charts, and more. If you have additional questions about eligibility and health insurance in retirement, please contact HR Benefits at 571-423-3200 (Choose Option #3) or visit StaffConnect to request information.

You should start the process about a year before your retirement date. Download and print ERFC's Legacy Retirement Checklist to help you stay on track.

1 Year Before

• Gather the following documents:
  • Birth certificate, REAL ID, Virginia driver's license, government-issued identification card, or passport for you and your survivor (if applicable)
  • Survivor's Social Security card (Survivor Option Only)
  • Marriage certificate (Survivor Option Only)

6 Months Before

• To formally start the retirement process, go to FCPS StaffConnect to electronically submit your HR-2. Please Note: Your “Last Work or Separation Day (Retirement)” is the last day of the month you’ll stop working at FCPS, which is the day before your retirement date. For example, if you want to retire at the end of the school year, your retirement date would be July 1. Your last work or separation day would be June 30 (not the last day of school).

• Once your Retirement from FCPS (HR-2) form submission in FCPS StaffConnect is approved, you’ll receive an email from ERFC telling you to log in to ERFCDirect to begin your online retirement application (located under Online Forms on the left or in the Retirement Eligibility box at the top). You'll also be assigned an ERFC retirement specialist.

For more information, please refer to the ERFC Legacy Plan Handbook.

Unused sick leave is converted to retirement credit at the time of retirement by the HR payroll office. This is added to your service total and included in your retirement calculation. The conversion is as follows:

Number of hours ÷ Contract days ÷ Work hours per day = Amount of service

Please Note: Once your annual leave maximum is paid out, the leftover annual leave is moved to sick leave and then converted into additional service credit. If you retire from ERFC and transfer sick leave to another county, your ERFC pension will be negatively impacted. As such, you'll be contacted the month following your retirement to recoup the overpayment amount, and your future pension will be recalculated based on the new reported hours of unused sick leave.

You're eligible for full retirement (unreduced benefit) at age 55 with 25 years OR at age 65 with 5 years. You can also retire with a reduced benefit at age 45 with 25 years OR at age 55 with 5 years.

Sometimes you don't fall into each category perfectly. For example, you're still eligible for full retirement if you're age 60 and have 25 years. And you'd be eligible for a reduced benefit if you're 57 and have 10 years.

You can also log in to your ERFCDirect account and click "Create Your Own Estimate" on the left menu. From there you’ll be able to see what your full service (unreduced) retirement or reduced service retirement dates are.



To calculate your monthly benefit with ERFC, log in to ERFCDirect and click "Create Your Own Estimate" on the left menu. If you need help, watch How to Run Your Own ERFC Retirement Estimate. 

Not sure how to understand your ERFC estimate? Watch this video explaining the Legacy plan estimate.

You can choose between payment to only you, or select a survivor to receive a pension benefit upon your death. You will find a detailed explanation of ERFC payment options in the ERFC Legacy Plan Brochure. 

VRS is the Virginia Retirement System and it's your primary pension. ERFC is an additional pension through Fairfax County Public Schools. It's intended to supplement the retirement benefits you'll receive from VRS and Social Security. In retirement, you'll receive two pension payments: one from VRS and the other from ERFC. 

No. ERFC members are not allowed to borrow funds from their member contributions. 

If you leave an ERFC-covered position with FCPS, you have two options when it comes to your ERFC accumulated contributions. 

1.  Leave your accumulated ERFC contributions on deposit.

Vested members (5 or more years of service). You can leave your funds with ERFC and become a deferred vested member. Your funds will continue to accrue interest until you’re eligible to retire. If you return to an ERFC-covered position at FCPS before you retire, you’ll return to active member status and resume contributing and earning service years under your current plan.

Unvested members (less than 5 years of service). You can leave your funds with ERFC, but they’ll stop earning interest after 10 years. At that time, if you aren't returning to FCPS, you'll want to consider refunding or rolling over your funds. If you leave your funds with ERFC and return to an ERFC-covered position at FCPS before you retire, you’ll resume contributing and earning service years under your current plan.

2. Refund or roll over your accumulated ERFC contributions (plus interest).

Please Note: If you take a direct refund of the amount, meaning you’d get a physical check in the mail, ERFC will withhold 20% federal and 4% Virginia state tax (for Virginia residents). If you refund or roll over your funds, your ERFC credited service will be canceled and, if you were vested, you'll no longer be eligible for a monthly ERFC benefit when you retire.

It's your responsibility to initiate a refund or rollover. To do so, log in to your ERFCDirect account the month after your last day of work. Under “Forms,” select Election to Request Refund or Rollover of Contributions (ERFC 21A). After you’ve completed the form, mail it to our office or request a secure email to electronically submit it. Once we approve your ERFC 21A, we’ll process your request within 60-90 days.

Impact of a Refund or Rollover

If you have 5 or more years of service in your ERFC plan and you refund or roll over your ERFC contributions, you forfeit your rights to a monthly benefit beginning at your retirement age. Please also note that if you withdraw your contributions and you're later hired into an ERFC-covered position, you’ll be unable to return to coverage under the ERFC Legacy benefit structure and will be automatically enrolled in the ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan.

You're not required to meet with a retirement specialist in order to retire. It's completely up to you. ERFC offers the following virtual or in-person appointments:

• Question Session
  • At any stage in your career prior to initiating the retirement process, you can request a 30-minute meeting with a retirement specialist to discuss any questions you have.
• Retirement Session
  • Once you initiate the retirement process, you can request a meeting to get help filling out your online retirement application.

To schedule an appointment, call ERFC at 703-426-3900, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Yes. If you wish to appeal the denial, please submit your written appeal, including any applicable additional information you wish to provide, to the ERFC Board of Trustees, 300 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 300, Falls Church, VA 22042. If you wish your appeal to be heard at the next Trustees meeting, your appeal must be received 60 days prior, in order to allow time for your appeal to be prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees.

Section 16.17 of the ERFC Legacy Plan Document provides that a Member whose claim for benefits under the Plan is denied in whole or in part may appeal to the Board of Trustees. Appeals must be submitted in writing within 180 days of the date of the denial of the claim(s), addressed to the Chair, and may be accompanied by any documents relevant to the appeal. Additionally, an individual who has submitted a written appeal has the option of making an oral presentation to the Board of Trustees at the meeting at which the appeal is first presented to the Trustees. Filing of an appeal as described in Section 16.17 is a prerequisite to the filing of any further claims or actions in any court or other forum.

When will my appeal be heard by the Board of Trustees? Your appeal must be received 30 business days prior to the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, to allow time for your appeal to be prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees. If your appeal is received less than 30 business days from the next Board meeting, it will be presented to the Board at their subsequent regularly scheduled Board Meeting.

Information about FCPS health insurance benefits can be found on FCPS' Retirees page. There you'll find Retiree Benefits Publications and Resources, including Retiree Benefits Handbooks, Premium Charts, and more. If you have additional questions about eligibility and health insurance in retirement, please contact HR Benefits at 571-423-3200 (Choose Option #3) or visit StaffConnect to request information.

You're eligible to retire at any age with 30 years of service or at age 60 or older with five or more years. 

You should start the process about a year before your retirement date. Download and print ERFC's Tier 1 Retirement Checklist to help you stay on track.

1 Year Before

• Gather the following documents:
  • Birth certificate, REAL ID, Virginia driver's license, government-issued identification card, or passport for you and your survivor (if applicable)
  • Survivor's Social Security card (Survivor Option Only)
  • Marriage certificate (Survivor Option Only)

6 Months Before

• To formally start the retirement process, go to FCPS StaffConnect to electronically submit your HR-2. Please Note: Your “Last Work or Separation Day (Retirement)” is the last day of the month you’ll stop working at FCPS, which is the day before your retirement date. For example, if you want to retire at the end of the school year, your retirement date would be July 1. Your last work or separation day would be June 30 (not the last day of school).

• Once your Retirement from FCPS (HR-2) form submission in FCPS StaffConnect is approved, you’ll receive an email from ERFC telling you to log in to ERFCDirect to begin your online retirement application (located under Online Forms on the left or in the Retirement Eligibility box at the top). You'll also be assigned an ERFC retirement specialist.

Your ERFC retirement benefits will be paid monthly to you starting from the month of your retirement until your death.

To calculate your monthly benefit with ERFC, log in to ERFCDirect and click “Create Your Own Estimate'' on the left menu.

If you need help, watch How to Run Your Own ERFC Retirement Estimate

Not sure how to understand your ERFC estimate? Watch Explaining the 2001 Plan Estimate.

Effective July 1, 2024, unused sick leave is converted to retirement credit at the time of retirement by the HR payroll
office. This is added to your service total and included in your retirement calculation. The conversion is as follows:

Number of hours ÷ Contract days ÷ Work hours per day = Amount of service

Please Note: Once your annual leave maximum is paid out, the leftover annual leave is moved to sick leave and then converted into additional service credit. If you retire from ERFC and transfer sick leave to another county, your ERFC pension will be negatively impacted. As such, you'll be contacted the month following your retirement to recoup the overpayment amount, and your future pension will be recalculated based on the new reported hours of unused sick leave.

You can choose between payment to only you, or select a survivor to receive a pension benefit upon your death. You will find a detailed explanation of ERFC payment options in the ERFC Tier 1 Plan Brochure. 

VRS is the Virginia Retirement System and it's your primary pension. ERFC is an additional pension through Fairfax County Public Schools. It's intended to supplement the retirement benefits you'll receive from VRS and Social Security. In retirement, you'll receive two pension payments: one from VRS and the other from ERFC.

For more information, please refer to the ERFC 2001 Plan Handbook.

No. ERFC members are not allowed to borrow funds from their member contributions. 

If you leave an ERFC-covered position with FCPS, you have two options when it comes to your ERFC accumulated contributions. 

1.  Leave your accumulated ERFC contributions on deposit.

Vested members (5 or more years of service). You can leave your funds with ERFC and become a deferred vested member. Your funds will continue to accrue interest until you’re eligible to retire. If you return to an ERFC-covered position at FCPS before you retire, you’ll return to active member status and resume contributing and earning service years under your current plan.

Unvested members (less than 5 years of service). You can leave your funds with ERFC, but they’ll stop earning interest after 10 years. At that time, if you aren't returning to FCPS, you'll want to consider refunding or rolling over your funds. If you leave your funds with ERFC and return to an ERFC-covered position at FCPS before you retire, you’ll resume contributing and earning service years under your current plan.

2. Refund or roll over your accumulated ERFC contributions (plus interest).

Please Note: If you take a direct refund of the amount, meaning you’d get a physical check in the mail, ERFC will withhold 20% federal and 4% Virginia state tax (for Virginia residents). If you refund or roll over your funds, your ERFC credited service will be canceled and, if you were vested, you'll no longer be eligible for a monthly ERFC benefit when you retire.

It's your responsibility to initiate a refund or rollover. To do so, log in to your ERFCDirect account the month after your last day of work. Under “Forms,” select Election to Request Refund or Rollover of Contributions (ERFC 21A). After you’ve completed the form, mail it to our office or request a secure email to electronically submit it. Once we approve your ERFC 21A, we’ll process your request within 60-90 days.

Impact of a Refund or Rollover

If you have 5 or more years of service in your ERFC plan and you refund or roll over your ERFC contributions, you forfeit your rights to a monthly benefit beginning at your retirement age. Please also note that if you’re rehired into an ERFC-covered position within five years of your FCPS termination, you can redeposit your accumulated contributions with interest within 90 days after you’re rehired. This will restore your previous service credit. However, you’ll be enrolled as a new employee under the ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan benefit structure, and your previous service will accrue to that plan. It is your responsibility to notify ERFC if you want to redeposit your accumulated contributions if you're rehired.

You're not required to meet with a retirement specialist in order to retire. It's completely up to you. ERFC offers the following virtual or in-person appointments:

• Question Session
  • At any stage in your career prior to initiating the retirement process, you can request a 30-minute meeting with a retirement specialist to discuss any questions you have.
• Retirement Session
  • Once you initiate the retirement process, you can request a meeting to get help filling out your online retirement application.

To schedule an appointment, call ERFC at 703-426-3900, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Yes. If you wish to appeal the denial, please submit your written appeal, including any applicable additional information you wish to provide, to the ERFC Board of Trustees, 300 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 300, Falls Church, VA 22042. If you wish your appeal to be heard at the next Trustees meeting, your appeal must be received 60 days prior, in order to allow time for your appeal to be prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees.

Section 11.14 of the ERFC 2001 Plan Document provides that a Member whose claim for benefits under the Plan is denied in whole or in part may appeal to the Board of Trustees. Appeals must be submitted in writing within 180 days of the date of the denial of the claim(s), addressed to the Chair, and may be accompanied by any documents relevant to the appeal. Additionally, an individual who has submitted a written appeal has the option of making an oral presentation to the Board of Trustees at the meeting at which the appeal is first presented to the Trustees. Filing of an appeal as described in Section 16.17 is a prerequisite to the filing of any further claims or actions in any court or other forum.

When will my appeal be heard by the Board of Trustees? Your appeal must be received 30 business days prior to the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, to allow time for your appeal to be prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees. If your appeal is received less than 30 business days from the next Board meeting, it will be presented to the Board at their subsequent regularly scheduled Board Meeting.

The ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan is a pension offered to FCPS employees hired on or after July 1, 2017. Unlike 403(b) or 457(b) plans that end when the money you contributed runs out, ERFC gives you monthly payments from the month you retire until your death.

VRS is the Virginia Retirement System and it's your primary pension. ERFC is an additional pension through Fairfax County Public Schools. It's intended to supplement the retirement benefits you'll receive from VRS and Social Security. In retirement, you'll receive two pension payments: one from VRS and the other from ERFC.

You're eligible to retire when your age plus your years of service equal 90 or when you reach full Social Security age and have 5 or more years of service.

Rule of 90 example: Age 60 with 30 years of service. 

Check the Social Security Benefits by year of birth.

You should start the process about a year before your retirement date. Download and print ERFC's Tier 2 Retirement Checklist to help you stay on track.

1 Year Before

• Gather the following documents:
  • Birth certificate, REAL ID, Virginia driver's license, government-issued identification card, or passport for you and your survivor (if applicable)
  • Survivor's Social Security card (Survivor Option Only)
  • Marriage certificate (Survivor Option Only)

6 Months Before

• To formally start the retirement process, go to FCPS StaffConnect to electronically submit your HR-2. Please Note: Your “Last Work or Separation Day (Retirement)” is the last day of the month you’ll stop working at FCPS, which is the day before your retirement date. For example, if you want to retire at the end of the school year, your retirement date would be July 1. Your last work or separation day would be June 30 (not the last day of school).

• Once your Retirement from FCPS (HR-2) form submission in FCPS StaffConnect is approved, you’ll receive an email from ERFC telling you to log in to ERFCDirect to begin your online retirement application (located under Online Forms on the left or in the Retirement Eligibility box at the top). You'll also be assigned an ERFC retirement specialist.

Information about FCPS health insurance benefits can be found on FCPS' Retirees page. There you'll find Retiree Benefits Publications and Resources, including Retiree Benefits Handbooks, Premium Charts, and more. If you have additional questions about eligibility and health insurance in retirement, please contact HR Benefits at 571-423-3200 (Choose Option #3) or visit StaffConnect to request information.

To calculate your monthly benefit with ERFC, log in to ERFCDirect and click “Create Your Own Estimate'' on the left menu.

If you need help, watch How to Run Your Own ERFC Retirement Estimate.

Not sure how to understand your ERFC estimate? Watch Explaining the 2001 Plan Estimate.

Effective July 1, 2024, unused sick leave is converted to retirement credit at the time of retirement by the HR payroll
office. This is added to your service total and included in your retirement calculation. The conversion is as follows:

Number of hours ÷ Contract days ÷ Work hours per day = Amount of service

Please Note: Once your annual leave maximum is paid out, the leftover annual leave is moved to sick leave and then converted into additional service credit. If you retire from ERFC and transfer sick leave to another county, your ERFC pension will be negatively impacted. As such, you'll be contacted the month following your retirement to recoup the overpayment amount, and your future pension will be recalculated based on the new reported hours of unused sick leave.

You can choose between payment to only you, or select a survivor to receive a pension benefit upon your death. You will find a detailed explanation of ERFC payment options in the ERFC Tier 2 Plan Brochure. 

The amount you contribute to your ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan is determined by the FCPS School Board. Your contribution is currently set at 3%. This amount cannot be increased or decreased and is a mandatory contribution. FCPS puts in 6.48%.

VRS will be your larger pension. You might be a member of the VRS Hybrid plan. As a member of the VRS Hybrid plan, it's important to contribute as much of your own additional funds as you can to gain the maximum matching funds from FCPS. Be sure to visit the VRS Hybrid plan page to learn more. If you are in the VRS Hybrid plan, once you've maxed out your own contributions, you might consider contributing to the FCPS 403(b) and 457(b) plans.

For more information, please refer to the ERFC 2001 Plan Handbook.

No. ERFC members are not allowed to borrow funds from their member contributions. 

If you leave an ERFC-covered position with FCPS, you have two options when it comes to your ERFC accumulated contributions. 

1.  Leave your accumulated ERFC contributions on deposit.

Vested members (5 or more years of service). You can leave your funds with ERFC and become a deferred vested member. Your funds will continue to accrue interest until you’re eligible to retire. If you return to an ERFC-covered position at FCPS before you retire, you’ll return to active member status and resume contributing and earning service years under your current plan.

Unvested members (less than 5 years of service). You can leave your funds with ERFC, but they’ll stop earning interest after 10 years. At that time, if you aren't returning to FCPS, you'll want to consider refunding or rolling over your funds. If you leave your funds with ERFC and return to an ERFC-covered position at FCPS before you retire, you’ll resume contributing and earning service years under your current plan.

2. Refund or roll over your accumulated ERFC contributions (plus interest).

Please Note: If you take a direct refund of the amount, meaning you’d get a physical check in the mail, ERFC will withhold 20% federal and 4% Virginia state tax (for Virginia residents). If you refund or roll over your funds, your ERFC credited service will be canceled and, if you were vested, you'll no longer be eligible for a monthly ERFC benefit when you retire.

It's your responsibility to initiate a refund or rollover. To do so, log in to your ERFCDirect account the month after your last day of work. Under “Forms,” select Election to Request Refund or Rollover of Contributions (ERFC 21A). After you’ve completed the form, mail it to our office or request a secure email to electronically submit it. Once we approve your ERFC 21A, we’ll process your request within 60-90 days.

Impact of a Refund or Rollover

If you have 5 or more years of service in your ERFC plan and you refund or roll over your ERFC contributions, you forfeit your rights to a monthly benefit beginning at your retirement age. Please also note that if you withdraw your contributions and you're later hired into an ERFC-covered position, you'll be enrolled as a new employee under the ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan.

You're not required to meet with a retirement specialist in order to retire. It's completely up to you. ERFC offers the following virtual or in-person appointments:

• Question Session
  • At any stage in your career prior to initiating the retirement process, you can request a 30-minute meeting with a retirement specialist to discuss any questions you have.
• Retirement Session
  • Once you initiate the retirement process, you can request a meeting to get help filling out your online retirement application.

To schedule an appointment, call ERFC at 703-426-3900, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Yes. If you wish to appeal the denial, please submit your written appeal, including any applicable additional information you wish to provide, to the ERFC Board of Trustees, 300 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 300, Falls Church, VA 22042. If you wish your appeal to be heard at the next Trustees meeting, your appeal must be received 60 days prior, in order to allow time for your appeal to be prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees.

Section 11.14 of the ERFC 2001 Plan Document provides that a Member whose claim for benefits under the Plan is denied in whole or in part may appeal to the Board of Trustees. Appeals must be submitted in writing within 180 days of the date of the denial of the claim(s), addressed to the Chair, and may be accompanied by any documents relevant to the appeal. Additionally, an individual who has submitted a written appeal has the option of making an oral presentation to the Board of Trustees at the meeting at which the appeal is first presented to the Trustees. Filing of an appeal as described in Section 16.17 is a prerequisite to the filing of any further claims or actions in any court or other forum.

When will my appeal be heard by the Board of Trustees? Your appeal must be received 30 business days prior to the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, to allow time for your appeal to be prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees. If your appeal is received less than 30 business days from the next Board meeting, it will be presented to the Board at their subsequent regularly scheduled Board Meeting.