Wichita State University
Retirement Plans
- Mandatory Retirement Options
- Voluntary Retirement Options
- ICAA Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement Plan
Mandatory Retirement Plans
All benefits-eligible employees of Wichita State University are required to participate in a mandatory retirement plan. The employee classification dictates the type of plan in which they are enrolled. All hires, with the exception of University Police, hired on or after 11/24/2024, participate in the Kansas Board of Regents 403 (b) mandatory retirement plan.
University Support Staff Employees:
University Support Staff Employees hired before 11/24/2024 participate in Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS).
- KPERS is a defined benefit plan (pension).
- For KPERS Tier 1 & 2 participants, the benefit after retirement is determined based on years of service or earned credits, and salary while working at WSU or the State of Kansas.
- For KPERS Tier 3 participants (hired after 2015), the benefit after retirement is determined based on the total employee contributions made throughout the career, as well as retirement credits earned and interest accrued.
- USS employees do not serve a wait period prior to enrollment. Employee contributions begin immediately upon hire into a KPERS- or KP&F-covered position.
- Employee contribution of 6% of base annual salary each payroll cycle.
- After 5 years of service, participants are vested at 100%, meaning that a benefit is guaranteed to be paid upon retirement. Prior to reaching 5 years of service, vestment is 0%.
Unclassified Professionals and Faculty
All hires, with the exception of University Police, hired on or after 11/24/2024, participate in the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) retirement plan.
- KBOR mandatory retirement plan is a 403(b) defined contribution plan. Read more about this plan in the KBOR Retirement Plan Guide.
- A 1 year enrollment waiting period is required. If, in at least 1 full year (365 days)
in the preceding 5 years, a new employee has (1) prior State of Kansas service, (2)
been a contributing participant in KPERS, or (3) been a contributing participant in
an employer-contributing retirement plan as an employee of a US institute of higher
education, they are eligible to request and may be approved a waiver of the waiting
period.
- To request waiver of the 1-year waiting period, the employee must complete the Immediate Participation Form and the Investment Agreement election form. The Documentation of Service Form must be completed by the new employee's previous employer verifying previous state service, KPERS participation, or higher education retirement plan participation. The forms must be submitted to (and approved by) TotalRewards@wichita.edu no later than 90 days after the date of appointment.
- Contributions are set at 5.5% employee contributions and 8.5% employer contributions. Percentages are based on the employee's gross salary.
- Once the wait period has been served or waived, participants are immediately vested at 100%.
- Participants will be notified near the end of their one-year wait period that their Investment Agreement election form is due to Human Resources. Participants will be asked to select either TIAA-CREF or Voya as their investment provider. Both providers follow the same plan rules. If no election is made, participants will be defaulted into participation with TIAA-CREF.
- Employees can choose between TIAA and VOYA as their investment provider.
Voluntary Retirement Options
The mandatory plans do not allow for additional contributions on top of the mandatory minimums. Employees who wish to contribute more than their minimum mandatory amounts may do so by establishing a voluntary retirement plan account with any of our investment providers. Two basic types of voluntary plans are available - a voluntary 403(b) plan or an IRS 457 plan.
There is no wait period required for contributions to a voluntary retirement plan, and contributions are 100% vested as of enrollment. Plan rules vary for each plan type, and different investment options are available within each plan type. Annual contribution limits are imposed by the IRS, but are separate for each account, allowing employees who wish to contribute heavily may diversify their contributions to maximize their annual contributions.
Voluntary 403(b) Plan
- Available to USS, UP, and Faculty employees in a benefits-eligible position.
- Two investment providers are available (VOYA or TIAA). Many participants elect to use the same investment provider they will use for their KBOR mandatory plan, or to use an investment provider they have worked with in the past. Before submitting the Investment Agreement Form to HR, participants must contact their selected investment provider directly to establish the investment account.
- Pre-tax and after-tax (Roth) options available
- Participants can contribute a minimum of 1% of their base annual salary, up to the current IRS annual limit.
- There is no employer contribution under the voluntary 403(b) plan.
- Start, stop, or change contributions at any time - by completing the appropriate Investment Agreement Form and returning it to totalrewards@wichita.edu
- Financial Counseling/Assistance is available!
IRS 457 Plan
- Available to all employees, including: students, non-benefits-eligible, etc.
- Contributions are managed directly by KPERS as the administrator of this plan option. Employees do not need to be in a KPERS-covered position to be eligible for the KPERS 457 plan.
- Pre-tax and after-tax (Roth) options available
- Participants can contribute a minimum of 1% of their base annual salary, up to the current IRS annual limit.
- There is no employer contribution under the IRS 457 plan.
- Start or stop contributions at any time through your online portal at KPERS 457 Website or by contacting our campus representative or KPERS 457 Customer Service - online enrollment and contact information available here.
- Financial Counseling/Assistance is available with the campus representative!
Contribution Limits for 2026
The 2026 IRS Limit for pretax voluntary contributions to the voluntary 403 (b) and the KPERS 457 is $24,500.
- Employees who are age 50 or older by the end of the calendar year have the option to contribute an additional $8,000 under the Age 50+ Catch up provision, making the total contribution allowed for 2026 $32,500.
- Employees who are age 60-63 by the end of the calendar year have the option to contribute an additional $11,250 under the Age 60-63 Special Catch up provision, making the total contribution allowed for 2026 $35,750.
- The total combined employee and employer limit for 2026 is $72,000.
Secure 2.0 Changes
The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022 (Secure 2.0) changed the rules for age based catch up provisions. Beginning in January 2026, employees who are age 50 and older, and who earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages in the prior calendar year, are required to make the Age 50+ Catch up or the Age 60-63 Special Catch up contributions as ROTH contributions. This applies to both the voluntary 403 (b) and the KPERS 457 plans.
