Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS)
Employees who participate in OPERS have the option to select the Traditional Plan or the Member-Directed Plan. Details regarding the features of these plans are available in the information packet provided to new employees by OPERS and on the OPERS Website.
OPERS requires contributions from employees of 10% and Kent State University may contribute up to 14.0%.
OPERS provides special retirement coverage for certain law enforcement officers (OPERS-LE). The OPERS-LE provision requires a 11.6% employee contribution and an employer contribution of 18.1%.
Retirement eligibility under the OPERS Traditional or Member-Directed Plan: Eligible at any age with 30 years of service or more, age 55 with at least 25 years of service, or age 60 with at least 5 years of service. Disability retirement benefits may be available after at least 5 years of service credit under the Traditional plan. There are no disability benefits available under the Member-Directed plan.
| Service Years | Age |
|---|---|
| 30 years | Any |
| 25 years | Age 55 |
| 5 years | Age 60 |
For more information, visit the OPERS Website.