Unlimited Purchase Amounts

Purchases of VRS-refunded service, no-cost military leave, ported service, sick leave or disability credit conversion at retirement and workers' compensation are unlimited.

Refunded Service

If you leave VRS-covered employment and take a refund of your member contributions and interest, your membership and eligibility for any future benefits will be canceled. If you return to covered employment, you will be rehired under the applicable retirement plan for that position. You may purchase the refunded service as service credit in your current plan.

  • The purchase cost is based on the refund amount, plus interest compounded annually from the date of the refund to the date you buy back the service. The interest rate is 6.75%, which is the assumed rate of return of the VRS fund.
  • You may purchase all of your refunded service or a portion at any time while an active VRS member.

No-Cost Military Leave

You can receive prior service credit at no cost for each occurrence of leave from a VRS-covered position for active duty military service. You can apply for no-cost military leave at any time, provided your discharge is not under dishonorable conditions and you return to covered employment within one year of discharge.

Ported Service

If you move to a VRS-covered position from a non-covered position with an employer that has a portability agreement with VRS, you may be eligible to transfer retirement assets from the former employer's plan in exchange for VRS service credit, within 18 months of beginning VRS-covered employment.

  • You must make the request within 18 months of beginning VRS-covered employment.
  • You must have been in a salaried, permanent full-time position and vested with the former employer.
  • VRS has service portability agreements for Plan 1 and Plan 2 members who previously worked with the following Virginia public employers: county of Fairfax and cities of Charlottesville, Danville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke. Service portability is not available to members of the Hybrid Retirement Plan.

Sick Leave Conversion at Retirement

If you are eligible for a payment of unused sick leave at retirement, you may elect to have this payment converted to service credit that will count toward your benefit calculation.

  • Your employer will deduct the appropriate tax withholding from the payment and then send the funds to VRS for this purchase. VRS will calculate the service credit amount represented by the remainder of the payment based on an actuarial equivalent cost.
  • If you wish to apply the full sick leave payment amount toward the conversion, you may make a lump-sum payment to cover the difference between the full payment amount and the amount withheld for taxes.

Disability Credit Conversion at Retirement

If you are eligible for a payment of unused disability credits under the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) at retirement, you may elect to convert the disability credit to service credit toward your benefit calculation. You will receive one month of service for each 173 hours of disability credits you have to convert.

Workers' Compensation

If you go on workers' compensation and member contributions are not withheld from your workers' compensation payment or any compensation you receive from your employer, you may be eligible to purchase service credit for this period. For leave without pay, the maximum amount eligible for purchase is 24 months per occurrence.

Limited Purchase Amounts

You may purchase up to a combined total of 48 months of the following types of prior service. With the exception of some types of active duty military service, the service must not be used to qualify you for a benefit under another retirement plan.

If you are eligible, you may purchase additional months above the limited purchase amounts if you have active duty military service or are a vested school superintendent.

Educational Leave

Approved leave from a VRS-covered position.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave

Leave—up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period—for your own serious health condition or that of your immediate family member (spouse, child or parent), both as defined under FMLA and approved by your employer at the time of the leave. The FMLA defines "serious health condition" as an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition that involves a) inpatient care in a hospital, hospice or residential medical care facility, or b) continuing treatment by a health care provider.

Federal Service (Salaried, Full-time)

Service in a civilian position with the federal government.

Leave for the Birth, Adoption or Death of a Child

Approved leave—up to 12 months maximum per occurrence—from a VRS-covered position. If your spouse is also an active VRS member and was also granted leave for birth, adoption or death of a child, he or she also may purchase this leave.

Non-covered Service with a VRS-Participating Employer

Service in a temporary, part-time or other non-covered position for an employer that participates in VRS. Total hours must be confirmed by the employer where you previously worked.

Non-ported Service

If you move to a VRS-covered position from an employer that has a portability agreement with VRS, you may be eligible to transfer retirement assets from the employer's plan in exchange for VRS service credit, if certain conditions are met. If not all service transfers, you may be eligible to purchase the remainder as non-ported service.

Public Service (Salaried, Full-Time) Other Than VRS

Service with a Virginia public employer that does not participate in VRS, or with a public employer or a school system of another state or U.S. territory.

Active Duty Military Service

You may purchase up to 48 months of active duty military service (in addition to the 48 months of other limited service types), provided it was full-time service of at least 180 consecutive days and at the time of purchase it does not qualify you for a military pension in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard or reserve components.

  • Exception: If you were in the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves or the National Guard, you may purchase up to 48 months of active duty military service (in addition to the 48 months of other limited service types), even if it will be used to qualify you for a military pension.

Additional Public Service for School Superintendents

If you are a vested school superintendent, you may purchase an additional 10 years of public service with a Virginia public employer that does not participate in VRS, or with a public employer or a school system of another state or U.S. territory.

  • You have one year from the date you become vested to purchase additional service at the 10% rate. After the one-year period, the cost will be actuarial.