Retiring from the university

How do I start the retirement process?

Employees interested in retiring from the university should do the following:

• Determine retirement eligibility for KPERS retirement or Kansas Board of Regents Retirement
• Make an appointment to meet with the benefits team if more information is needed regarding retirement
• Complete the Notification of Retirement or write a letter of retirement and give to your supervisor.
• Human Resources will process the retirement when the PER-39, Change or Separation of Employment and notification of retirement/letter of retirement are received from the department.
• KPERS retirees should submit the Application for Retirement form (KPERS-15) at least 30 days prior to the KPERS retirement date. The retirement application can be submitted to KPERS via the Benefits Administration office. Please contact Benefits for more information.

When will my last paycheck come?

In most cases, your last paycheck will be issued consistent with the regular payroll cycle.

What happens to my accrued leave?

At retirement, the university pays out an employee’s accrued Compensatory Time (both regular and holiday), Vacation Leave, and a portion of Sick Leave. This payment is included in the employee’s final University paycheck unless you want to defer the amount into an Optional Savings Plan. Complete Form PER-19 if you wish to defer this payout. This will protect the amount tax-free until you start taking it out of the Optional Savings Retirement Plan. If you have not done so yet, we would recommend that you talk with your Financial and/or Tax Advisor prior to your retirement.

Vacation Leave

A retiring employee will be paid for accumulated vacation leave at the time of retirement to a maximum of 240 hours at the employee’s regular hourly rate of pay.

Sick Leave

The Sick Leave payout is determined based on years of service and amount of accrued leave as indicated in the table below. All leave is paid out at the employee’s hourly rate of pay. Also we would encourage you to consider if you want the difference between your total Sick Leave and the amount that is available to be paid/deferred at retirement to be donated to KSU’s Shared Leave program. If you do decide to donate, the Shared Leave Donation Form needs to be completed and returned to benefits@ksu.edu 2 weeks before you retire.

Years of Service	Leave Balance (in hours)	Hours Paid
8 or more	800	240
15 or more	1000	360
25 or more	1200	480

Compensatory Time

Accumulated overtime and holiday compensatory time are paid at retirement.

Discretionary Time

You are not eligible to receive any Discretionary Time due to retirement with Kansas State University

Deferring Your Leave Payout

If you are eligible to receive a leave payout upon the end of your employment, you can tax defer this payment as a contribution into a voluntary savings account. By making a pre-tax deferral, employees can boost their retirement savings and reduce the amount of taxes withheld from this payment. The voluntary savings plans that are available to employees are the KPERS 457 deferred compensation plan and the Voluntary 403(b) Retirement Plan. It is important to note that the annual IRS limitations for contributions on these savings plans will apply. If you choose to defer some or all your leave payout into an Optional Savings Plan complete the PER-19and return it to benefits@ksu.eduat least two weeks prior to leaving the University. We recommend that you talk with your Financial and/or Tax Advisor prior to your termination to help assist you in making decisions related to deferring your leave payout.

Retiree ID Card

• ID can be obtained at the K-State ID Center in the Student Union on the ground floor.
• Must bring a copy of the PER-39 and a valid state or federally issued photo ID.
• Questions can be directed to wildcatcard@k-state.edu or 785-532-6399.
   

Free Parking

• The free permit allows parking in all surface lots. An annual garage permit is an upcharge.
• The retiree must renew this pass every July for the following year.
• Retiree must bring their PER-39 form to the parking garage office located in the Parking Garage at 706 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
• Parking FAQ
• Additional information on KSU parking can be found on the Parking Services webpage or by calling 785-532-7275.

 

Complimentary Access to K-State Recreational Services

• The retiree and the retiree's spouse (if applicable) both get a free membership. 
• To utilize the free membership, the retiree and spouse (if applicable) must take a copy of the retiree's PER-39 to the rec administrative office to verify their retirement status and complete the enrollment process.
• Retirees need to renew once a year. Renewals can be handled in person at the rec center office or over the phone. 
  
  

Library Privileges

• Retirees have the same benefits as community patrons.
• Retirees and community patrons can sign up for an account using this form: K-State Libraries - Community Patron Application | Qualtrics.
• Retirees and community patrons are welcome to visit the help desk on the 2nd floor of Hale Library for assistance.
  
  

IT Access

• Specific details regarding exiting employment vary. To determine when IT access will end for specific programs/apps/etc. Please visit the IT Leaving K-State page.
• Retirees without emeritus status retain access to eProfile, the Lafene Health Center Patient Portal, and personnel records in HRIS Employee Self-Service.
• Emeritus employees should refer to the Additional benefits for emeritus status retirees dropdown in the next section for specific guidance.
• Contact the KSU IT Help Desk, call 785-532-7722, or visit the IT Service Desk on the 2nd floor of Hale Library for more information.
  
  

Athletic Ticket Discounts

• Discount is determined by K-State Athletics and is subject to change.
• Contact tickets@kstatesports.com or 800-221-CATS for more information.

Retired faculty and unclassified professionals with at least five years of full-time, honorable service may also receive (as available)

• Office, studio, and/or lab space

• Clerical support and mailbox services

In addition to the perks that all KSU retirees receive, those with emeritus status have access to the following benefits:

• Emeritus retirees are allowed continued access to their KSU email account and other IT services.
  • More details about a retiree's access to IT resources can be found here.
  • Contact the KSU IT Help Desk, call 785-532-7722, or visit the IT Service Desk on the 2nd floor of Hale Library for more information.
• Expanded Library Privileges
  • Emeritus retirees retain remote access to databases and other resources.
  • Emeritus retirees are eligible for interlibrary loan.  This does require single sign-on access.

More information about emeritus status can be found in the University Handbook under Retirement Privileges.

Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)

As a KPERS retiree, there are certain rules and limitations if you return to work for a KPERS covered employer after you retire. These rules and limitations do not apply if you work for an employer that is not a KPERS covered employer.

The State of Kansas is considered one employer. State agencies, boards, commissions and Board of Regents institutions are all part of the State of Kansas. Going from one to another is not considered changing employers.

Any rehire of a retiree is subject to normal university recruitment approval process. In addition, Human Resources Benefits must approve the rehire of all retirees. You can find more information on the KPERS website.

No Prearrangements
KPERS retirees cannot make prearrangements to return to work for any KPERS covered employer. That means no communication in any way about an intent to return to work. This includes both before retirement and during the waiting period discussed below.

Waiting Period
As a retiree you cannot return to work for any KPERS covered employer until a waiting period is satisfied. The time is calculated based on your KPERS retirement date (which will be the first day of a month), not your last day on the university’s payroll.

For individuals that retired before January 1, 2018, the waiting period is 60 days.

For individuals that retire on or after January 1, 2018, the waiting period is 60 days if you were age 62 or older at the time of retirement. If you were under age 62 at the time of retirement, the waiting period is 180 days.

Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Mandatory Retirement Plan

IRS rulings and case law confirm that access to retirement funds requires a bona fide separation from service. Consequently, rehiring a retiree must be in the best interest of the University and within the bounds of this policy. The retiree may not be rehired into the same position with job duties and job title identical to those which he/she held before retirement. Any rehire is subject to the normal university recruitment approval process. In addition, Human Resources must approve the initial rehire of all retirees prior to allowing the retiree to work in order to document compliance with the following policies.

A retiree who participated in the KBOR mandatory retirement plan may be rehired no earlier than 60 calendar days after the retirement date. Access to retirement funds will be dependent upon prevailing KBOR and retirement provider policy. See the Kansas Board of Regents Bona fide Separation from Service (pdf) directive.

Group Health Insurance (GHI) (30 day deadline)

If you had health insurance as an active employee, your coverage is discontinued on the date of separation from the University. If you elected to continue with the State of Kansas GHI plan, you will receive an email from the State of Kansas to enroll in coverage as a retiree on-line. Should you need assistance please contact the Retiree/Direct Bill Membership Group: 866-541-7100.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Funds in your HSA are yours to use until the funds are exhausted. Contact NueSynergy at 855-750-9440 for questions concerning your account.

Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

Funds in the HRA are only available for use through the end of month in which you terminated. Contact NueSynergy at 855-750-9440 for questions concerning your account.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

If you had a health care or dependent care flexible spending account, contact NueSynergy 855-750-9440 for questions regarding your account and claim submission.

Standard Basic and Optional Life Continuation Options

Retiring employees are eligible to continue life insurance. Please contact Standard Insurance Company 844-289-2306 should you have questions.

Should you desire to continue your basic and optional group life policy, you may port (pdf), premiums do increase. You may also elect to convert your basic and optional coverage to a whole life policy (pdf), premiums are significantly more expensive.

Emeritus status is an honorary title awarded to a retiring faculty member or administrator for extended meritorious service. 

Who can apply/receive emeritus status?
Faculty and unclassified professionals who have completed at least ten years of honorable full-time service at Kansas State University can request emeritus status upon full retirement. The president may waive the full-time service requirement for those who have served honorably on adjunct appointments or for those employees who have completed at least the equivalent of ten years of honorable full-time service at Kansas State University.

University Support Staff are not eligible for emeritus status.

What is the process to apply and be approved for emeritus status?
The retiring faculty or staff member must request emeritus status from their unit head/chair, who shall then forward the request and appropriate emeritus title to the corresponding vice president or to the dean and provost. Upon approval, the request will then be forwarded to HR– Benefits for eligibility certification. Once eligibility is verified, Benefits will forward the information to the president’s office for final approval and processing. Once fully approved, the president’s office will mail the official emeritus letter and certificate to the retiree.

We request that departments submit emeritus requests 2-3 months before an employee’s official retirement date, when possible. This allows time for the request to be processed, to help avoid disruptions to the retiree’s IT access. Emeritus requests can be made at any time during the year, not just at the end of the academic or calendar year.

What are the benefits of emeritus status?
View the "Additional benefits for emeritus retirees" dropdown in the section above for an overview of the benefits available.

More information about emeritus status privileges can be found in the University Handbook under section D70.