Virginia Blue Bells

ERFC 2001 Tier 2

Hire Date: 07/01/2017 to Present

Good News! If you're a full-time educational, administrative, or support employee, ERFC is your supplemental defined-benefit retirement plan, also called a pension. Your ERFC pension supplements the primary benefits you'll earn from the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and Social Security.

VRS + ERFC + Social Security

How Is My Benefit Calculated? 


At What Age Can I Retire?

You can retire at any age if you meet the "Rule of 90." This means that the sum of your age and years worked equals 90 or more. You can also retire at Social Security age with 5 or more years worked.

Check the Social Security Benefits by year of birth.


What Are My Payment Options?

Basic Benefit

Pays only you throughout your retirement lifetime. No survivor option.

Survivor Options

Continuing benefit to your survivor after your death.

Small Pension Payout

If your Basic Benefit pension is $100 or less per month, you will receive a onetime payout.


ERFC 2001 Tier 2 Plan Documents and Forms

Tier 2 Plan Documents 

Tier 2 Plan Forms 

Websites

ERFC Glossary

StaffConnect (for questions about health insurance and benefits)

VRS Website

Mission Square Retirement(third-party administrator for the VRS Hybrid 457 Plan)

Social Security Website

Divorced?

If you and your former spouse will be dividing your ERFC benefit, you'll need to submit a Domestic Relations Order (DRO) to ERFC. 

ERFCDirect Logo

Log in to ERFCDirect. There you can confirm what plan you’re in, review your account, run estimates, name or update your beneficiaries, and more!

Go To ERFCDirect

When Am I Considered Vested?

You’re considered vested after five years of full-time service with FCPS. That means that when it’s time to retire, you'll be eligible to receive a second pension from ERFC.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the ERFC retirement plan work?

The ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan is a pension offered to FCPS employees hired on or after July 1, 2017. A pension is a lifetime benefit. 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.

Can you explain the relationship between ERFC and VRS?

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.

What is the timeline for the retirement process?

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 for you and your survivor (if applicable): 
    • Birth certificate, REAL ID, Virginia driver's license, government-issued identification card, or passport 
    • 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.

Health Insurance in Retirement: What are my options and how much do they cost?

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.

How much money can I expect to receive per month in retirement?

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.

How are unused sick leave and annual leave calculated into retirement?

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.

How much money can I put in my retirement fund each month in order to maximize my benefits?

The amount you contribute to your ERFC 2001 Tier 2 plan is determined by the Fairfax County 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, you can contribute up to 4%to the defined contribution component of the plan (in 0.5% increments) and receive up to 2.5% in employer matching contributions. 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.

Can I borrow funds from my contributions to ERFC?

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

What happens to my ERFC contributions if I leave FCPS?

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 completed ERFC 21A and receive confirmation of your termination of employment from FCPS, 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 lifetime 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.

Can I meet with a retirement specialist?

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:

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. 

ERFC Ambassadors holding blue boxes

ERFC Ambassador Program

Your onsite Ambassador can answer general ERFC questions and help you find resources.

Find My Ambassador

Retire2: Your Happy Place with 2 Pensions

Retire2

Get inspired! Read about ERFC retirees who are making the most of their next chapter.

Inspire Me

ERFC 2001 Handbook Cover

Member Handbook

Find helpful links and more in-depth information about the ERFC 2001 Plan. 

Download the handbook