Retirement Benefits
State law requires all regular faculty and staff to enroll in a retirement plan immediately upon employment. Regular faculty and staff and contingent faculty and staff may also participate in the voluntary supplemental retirement plans.
Retirement Plan Options
Regular Faculty and Exempt Staff
Regular faculty and exempt staff can choose between the Employees’ & Teachers’ Reformed Contributory Pension Plan and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP). Prior membership in either retirement plan may affect selection.
- The pension plan is available through the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System.
- The Optional Retirement Program (ORP) is available through Fidelity Investments and TIAA.
Choosing Your Retirement Plan
Review the documents below for help with choosing your retirement plan.
For more information about the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, you can schedule an appointment, email or call.
For more information on ORP, you can schedule an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with a Fidelity representative or TIAA representative.
Non-Exempt Staff
Non-exempt staff must join the pension plan available through the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System.
Law enforcement officers are required to join the Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System (PDF) available through the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System and should contact the Employee Benefits unit in the Office of Human Resources for additional information.
How to Apply
Forms, handbooks and more information about applying for the pension plan and the ORP are provided here.
Pension Plan
Thinking of Retiring?
Pension participants:
- Pension Pre-retirement Check List
- Attend a Pre-retirement Planning Training
- Run a benefits estimate through your MySRPS portal. Go to MSRA's official web site and click on MySRPS log in located in the top right corner.
ORP participants:
- ORP Pre-retirement Check List (PDF)
- Set up a meeting with your vendor. Scroll down to the Schedule An Appointment section below.
Ready for paperwork or have planning questions? Please request an appointment with our Retirement Benefits Specialist via email hrbenefits AT_TOWSON
Voluntary Supplemental Retirement Plans
All faculty and staff are eligible to contribute pre-tax and Roth (after-tax) dollars through payroll deduction to supplemental retirement plans offered through following vendors: Fidelity Investments, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and TIAA.
Participation is voluntary and may be initiated any time during the year. IRS calendar year contribution limits apply to all accounts. Contribution limits are as follows:
| Type | 2025 |
| 401(k)/403(b) | $23,500 |
| 457(b) | $23,500 |
| Age 50+ Catch-up | $31,000 |
| Age 60-63 Super Catch-up | $34,750 |
- Supplemental Retirement Plan Contacts (PDF)
- Pre-Tax Supplemental Retirement Comparison (PDF)
- After-Tax Supplemental Retirement Comparison (PDF)
- Employees’ Pension System Supplemental Retirement State Match FAQ (PDF)
Plan Guides:
- Fidelity Investments – Supplemental 403(b) Plan Guide
- Fidelity Investments – Supplemental 457(b) Plan Guide
- TIAA – Supplemental 403(b) Plan Guide
- TIAA – Supplemental 457(b) Plan Guide
- Nationwide Retirement Solutions (contact Nationwide to enroll)
USM Retirement@Work
You will no longer need to use paper forms to enroll or make changes to your Supplemental Retirement Account(s)! USM employees now have access to USM Retirement@Work, a new retirement portal that will allow you to make changes to your account(s) online in real-time.
This is for both Fidelity and TIAA customers.
Nationwide customers, please contact Nationwide directly. Nationwide Retirement Solutions
USM Retirement@Work log in now
USM Retirement@Work Quick Start Guide
TU's agency number is 360224 and your payroll system is either Regular or Contract, depending on your employee status.
Schedule an Appointment
You can schedule an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with a retirement vendor representative to get more information about voluntary supplemental retirement plans.