Educate Yourself

SERVICE CREDIT ACCRUAL AND PURCHASE

PRIVATE SCHOOL SERVICE

Georgia law allows TRS service credit to be established for time spent as a teacher employed in an accredited private school within Georgia. A TRS member desiring to establish service for private school teaching must provide the documentation described below and must also pay to TRS the full actuarial cost of this service.

Criteria required to establish this service:

• the employment must have been on a permanent not less than half-time basis with a private elementary or secondary school or any private college or university located in Georgia;
• the private school must have been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Georgia Accrediting Association or a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the State Board of Education;
• the member must have completed six consecutive years of membership service in the public schools of Georgia or the University System of Georgia to establish one year of private school service credit; and
• with the completion of each additional year of Georgia service thereafter, a member may establish an additional year of private school service, to a maximum of ten years.

To determine the exact cost for you to establish this service, please complete the Certification of Private School Service form to the right, and forward the completed form to our office.