Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP)

Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP)

The Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) is available to tenured faculty, counselors, and librarians. Employees wishing to enter FERP must be at least 55 years of age, 60 years of age, or 62 years of age depending on their retirement formula (see IMPORTANT Information below) and eligible for a service retirement.  After starting the FERP program, FERP faculty may not accept stateside additional employment or teach for RCE (without permanently reducing their academic year appointment). 

Faculty Early Retirement Program Fact Sheet (PDF)

CalPERS Publication 33: A Guide to CalPERS Employment After Retirement (PDF)
File from CalPERS website

Links

• Cal State Labor and Employee Relations(opens in new window)
  • Faculty Early Retirement Program, Article 29 of the Unit 3 Collective Bargaining Agreement
  • Pre-Retirement Reduction in Time Base, Article 30 of the Unit 3 Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Emeritu and Emerita Status

Forms

• Notification of Intent to FERP (PDF)
• Sick Leave Carry Over (PDF)
• Application for Leave of Absence Without Pay (PDF)
• Pre-Retirement Time Base Reduction Program Request Form (PDF)

Important Info For Those Hired After 1/1/2011

The collective bargaining agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Associate states that eligible tenured faculty members who have reached the age of 55 may participate in the FERP. However, this language pre-dates the 2011 and 2013 changes to retirement formulas.

State and federal law place additional restrictions on post-retirement employment for individuals who have not reached “normal retirement age”, which tracks with the retirement formula age. As a consequence, faculty hired after 1/1/2011 will not be eligible to enter the FERP until they reach the age of their retirement formula (age 60 or 62). 

If you have questions about your retirement formula or retirement benefits, please contact the Human Resources Benefits Office at 530-898-5436.