General Questions
U.S. Department of State Service
Peace Corps Service
Verification
Benefit Enhancements
Effective January 1, 2008, members can purchase service credit performed as an employee of a
public educational institution, located outside of the United States and its territories, that
receives a portion of its funding from any foreign or domestic public source and provides a
level of education comparable to kindergarten through 12th grade.
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Yes, if you are a CalSTRS Defined Benefit member and can provide proper verification of the service
you performed.
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To purchase foreign school service credit, submit a completed Out-of -State or Foreign
School Service Credit Certification form for each former foreign retirement system or foreign
school employer.
You must certify that you agree to forfeit all rights to the benefits under your former retirement
system before you can purchase the service credit with CalSTRS. Service credit cannot be purchased
if you are receiving, or are eligible to receive a benefit for this service in another public
retirement system. The completed forms must include the proper certification from your former
retirement system(s), former employer(s) or both, where applicable.
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Submit a written request on your Out-of-State or Foreign School Service Credit Certification form
directly to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) at the following address:
DoDEA Human Resources Center
Records Mgmt Unit – 6th Floor
4040 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1634
You may also call DoDEA at (703) 588-3987 for any questions regarding submitting your request.
Allow 10 – 14 days for processing.
If it has been more than a year since you performed your foreign school service, please send
your request to:
National Archives and Records Administration
National Personnel Records Center
(Civilian Personnel Records)
111 Winnebago Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
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No, you may purchase all or a portion of your available service credit at any time prior to retirement.
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No, Peace Corps service is not eligible for Foreign School Service Credit because service performed
in the Peace Corps is voluntary, and you are not employed by a foreign school.
Peace Corps service is covered under California Education Code
22803(6)
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Yes. You must request to purchase service credit prior to your retirement date by notifying CalSTRS in writing
by sending a copy of the Out-of-State or Foreign School Service Credit Certification form.
We recommend you remain in contact with CalSTRS Service Credit Support staff if you have difficulty obtaining
verification. This will ensure your eligibility to complete the purchase after you have retired.
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Yes, foreign school service credit will qualify for all of CalSTRS benefit enhancements.
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Yes. However, to be eligible to apply for a CalSTRS service retirement benefit, you must have 36 months
of annual compensation earnable performed in California.
Service performed outside California cannot be used to meet this requirement.
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No. To be eligible for disability benefits, you must have earned five years of service credit in
CalSTRS covered employment.
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By using the appropriate CalSTRS Out-of-State or Foreign School Service Credit Certification form,
translation should not be a concern.
If you are unable to have the proper forms completed, any documents in a foreign language must be
accompanied with a certified (notarized) English translation. If a copy of a document is used, it must
include the statement that it is a true and accurate copy.
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No, it is your responsibility to provide verification of your foreign service. Requests received without
complete and coherent verification will be returned to you.
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Send all pertinent documents (contracts, etc.) to CalSTRS. If we cannot determine your eligibility from those
documents, you will not be able to purchase foreign school service credit.
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CalSTRS will:
- Review your certification
- Verify your eligibility
- Determine how much service you may purchase
- Calculate your cost
- Send you a billing statement
The billing statement includes information regarding how you may pay for your purchase.
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Yes, CalSTRS can accept rollovers from most qualified U.S. retirement plans.
However, CalSTRS cannot accept rollovers from:
- Roth IRAs
- SEP
- SIMPLE
- Coverdell Education Savings Accounts
- Directly transferred, post-tax funds
Information and instructions for rollovers will be on the back of your billing statement.
You cannot have monies from foreign plans directly transferred to CalSTRS (per Internal Revenue Code sections
402(c)(8)(A) and 401(a); Treasury Regulation section 1.401-1(a)(3)(i)).
CalSTRS can only accept funds directly from domestic plans organized in the United States. If the funds can
be transferred to you, you can send your post-tax payment to CalSTRS. We recommend you speak to a tax advisor before
withdrawing funds from a foreign plan for the potential foreign and U.S. tax consequences.
Suggested Resources:
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