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Effective January 1, 2008, Assembly Bill 1432 (AB 1432) allows members to 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 education.
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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, you must submit a completed Out-of -State or Foreign
School Service Credit Certification Form (OSSC 304 Rev. 01/08) 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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You must submit your written request on CalSTRS Out-of-State or Foreign School Service Credit
Certification Form (OSSC Form 304) directly to the Department of Defense Education Activity
(DoDEA) at the following address. You may also call DoDEA at (703) 588-3987 for any questions
regarding submitting your request:
DoDEA Human Resources Center
Records Mgmt Unit – 6th Floor
4040 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1634
Phone (703) 588-3987
Please 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 included under AB 1432, but it is covered under California Education
Code 22803(6). Service performed in the Peace Corps is voluntary and you are not employed by a foreign
school. Therefore, teaching in the Peace Corps is subject to EC 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 (OSSC Form 304). 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. To qualify for
the longevity bonus your purchase must be paid in full by 12/31/2010.
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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 5 years of service credit in CalSTRS
covered employment.
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By using the appropriate CalSTRS forms Out-of-State or Foreign School Service Credit Certification
Form (OSSC Form 304) 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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Please 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 and 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 or 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.
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