The Optional Retirement Program (ORP) is a 403(b) defined contribution retirement program available to employees in certain positions. Employees who do not meet the eligibility requirement of ORP but who are eligible to participate in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) must participate in TRS.

Eligible employees are informed of their opportunity to participate in ORP upon hire or when promoted to an eligible position. Eligible employees are offered a one-time, irrevocable opportunity to participate in ORP in lieu of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) as described in Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 25.

More information regarding eligibility for ORP and TRS may be found here: https://reportcenter.highered.texas.gov/agency-publication/guidelines-manuals/overview-of-trs-and-orp1/

You're just a few easy steps away from choosing Fidelity as your provider for contributions under the Texas State University System (TSUS) ORP Plan. Follow the steps below to select Fidelity as your provider:

1) Through Retirement@Work, retirementatwork.org/tsus, designate your contribution amount and then choose Fidelity Investments as your investment provider.

2) Go to netbenefits.com/TSUS and click on the green Start Now button to establish your account, select your investments and assign a beneficiary. Use Plan #87176. If no selection is made, future contributions will be invested in the default fund.

When enrolling, choose the TSUS institution where you are employed.

Institution Name	Division Code
Lamar University	LU01
Lamar Institute of Technology	LIT1
Lamar State College Orange	LSCO
Lamar State College Port Arthur	LSCP
Sam Houston State University	SHSU
Sul Ross State University	SRU1
Texas State University	1XST
Texas State University System Administration	1SUS

Your ORP contribution will be automatically deducted from your paycheck. Your institution also contributes to your account. All contributions are sent directly to Fidelity.

The IRS contribution limit for 2025 is $23,500 from all sources.

If you have reached age 50 or will reach 50 during the calendar year January 1 – December 31 and are making the maximum plan or IRS contribution, you may make an additional catch-up contribution each pay period. The maximum annual catch-up contribution is $7,500. Going forward, catch-up contribution limits will be subject to cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) in $500 increments.

When you are "vested" in your savings, it means the money is yours to keep. You are 100% vested in employee contributions (those you make) to your ORP account, as well as any earnings on them. You become vested in the employer contributions on the first day of the second year of active participation. Active participation means making regular ORP contributions through payroll deduction.

Vested contributions may be invested in any of the options available in the TSUS ORP.

Non vested employer contributions are invested in Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund Investor Shares VMFXX. Your Human Resources department must inform Fidelity of your vested status once you have met the requirements. You may then invest the employer contributions in any of the options available in the TSUS ORP Plan.

You could lose money by investing in a money market fund. Although the fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the fund is not a bank account and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The fund’s sponsor is not required to reimburse the fund for losses, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the fund at any time, including during periods of market stress.

Your beneficiary or beneficiaries will inherit your account in the event of your death. You should consider identifying a beneficiary when you enroll in your plan, and consider updating the information if you experience a life-changing event such as a marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or death in the family.

Fidelity's Online Beneficiaries Service, available through NetBenefits^® offers a straightforward, convenient process to choose or update your beneficiary or beneficiaries that takes just minutes.

Go to 'Profile' in the navigation bar at the top of your NetBenefits^® page and click on the 'Summary tab' and then 'Beneficiaries'.

You are generally allowed to withdraw money from your plan when you leave your employer, retire or become permanently disabled. Withdrawals may be subject to income taxes and, if they occur prior to you becoming age 59½, a 10% early withdrawal tax penalty may apply.

For more information, call the Fidelity Retirement Services Center at 1-800-343-0860.

Whether online, on the phone, or in person, you have access to your account the way you want it. Log in online to NetBenefits^® virtually 24/7 or call Fidelity at 1-800-343-0860 to speak with a representative or use the automated voice response system.

Fidelity financial professionals provide complimentary one-on-one consultations for participants in your plan. You can also contact Fidelity for a statement of your account by calling 1-800-343-0860 or visiting NetBenefits^®.

For more information about the Texas State University System ORP Plan, please contact your institution's Human Resources department.