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Frequently Asked Questions

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A list of the most commonly asked questions.

How do you "buy back time" and purchase prior service credit?

Members can purchase service credit for certain employment they had before being employed by the NYCDOE. For your service to be eligible, the work had to have been rendered while you were in public employment in New York City or New York State. Generally, any New York City or New York State service rendered prior to your membership date may count as pensionable service. 
 

Members should contact TRS as soon as they are appointed to buy back any prior NYC or NYS service. 

I am a paraprofessional who was the subject of an investigation and those charges have been found to be unsubstantiated. During the investigation, I was suspended without pay. Now that I have been cleared, am I entitled to back pay?

Yes. If after an investigation, the allegations against the paraprofessional are found to be unsubstantiated, within 30 days the paraprofessional will receive back pay for the amount of time of the suspension without pay.

I've completed the online registration process to take a course through the UFT. I registered for 2 courses, but now I want to cancel one course. What do I do? Do I lose my registration fee or can I apply it to a different course?

Call the UFT Course Program at 212-475-3737. Your registration and payment will be verified. Depending on UFT departmental guidelines, it will be determined whether a refund can be issued.

Refunds for "T" courses will only be issued if a course is cancelled.

The UFT Course Program allows members to request in writing to switch from one course/section to another. If there is seat availability, UFT members will be transferred into their requested course.

For "E" courses, you must contact NYSUT directly at 1-800-528-6208.

I just registered online for a UFT course and realized I registered for the wrong locations. How do I make the change?

Call the UFT Course Program at 212-475-3737. This process is completed internally. If the location you desire is available, the Registrant Course Transfer will be initiated.

I registered for a UFT course online. When will my credit card be charged?

Course registration and credit card processing is completed immediately. The time it takes for the charge to show up on your credit card is generally 1-3 days, dependent on the policies of your credit card/merchant bank.

Each college has different procedures for tuition payment. The procedures will be sent directly to you from each collaborating college after you register.

I registered for a UFT course, but my class was cancelled. How long will the refund process take?

The UFT Course Program notifies the computer system once the course is cancelled. This ensures the online content reflects the change and no longer accepts online registration.

Then, the UFT Course Program notifies registered members and offers course transfers if available. If no transfer can be made, refund requests will be generated.

UFT Accounting will issue refunds in checks only; credit card refunds are not available. The refund process may take up to six weeks.

I just registered for a course. I registered for an "E" course, but now I wish to take a "T" course instead. What should I do?

UFT Course Programs and NYSUT/ELT registration procedures are separate. Unfortunately, you cannot exchange course registration from one program to the other.

Other content related to the differences between E and T courses is provided in the NYSUT Education and Learning Trust site.

I registered for a UFT course. If the location of a class has changed, or day or week, how will the online registrants be notified?

The UFT Course Program will contact registrants if there are any changes.

I am not a UFT member. Can I register to take a UFT course? If so, how do I register?

You can take UFT courses if they are open to non-members, but in most cases, higher registration fees may be incurred. 

I'm nearing the end of my career and considering when to retire. What are my next steps to pursue retirement?

First, attend a UFT pension clinic. It's a mini-course on your retirement benefits. For upcoming clinics, see: https://www.uft.org/your-benefits/pension/pension-clinics.

Then, make an appointment for a preliminary pension consult. At this private consultation, you will receive an estimate of your retirement allowance and answers to your questions about retirement benefits. We advise that everyone have a minimum of one preliminary borough consultation before your final consultation. You may have more than one preliminary consultation during your career. Call a borough office to make an appointment: 

  • Bronx: 718-379-6200
  • Brooklyn: 718-852-4900
  • Manhattan: 212-598-6800
  • Queens: 718-275-4400
  • Staten Island: 718-605-1400


As you near closer to retirement, book an appointment for final pension consultation. You are entitled to only one final consultation during your career, so most members complete them in the final months of work.

To make an appointment, call 212-331-6311 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meetings are scheduled in the borough office most convenient to you. It is advisable that if you are married, your spouse accompany you. A single person may be accompanied by a trusted confidant. During the final pension consultation you will be able to: 

  • Estimate your retirement allowance;
  • Discuss using the Teachers' Retirement System or the Board of Education Retirement System as a means for protecting heirs and beneficiaries;
  • Discuss removing contributions, where permissible, from the system at retirement;
  • Aid you in completing the retirement application;
  • Learn about health and welfare fund benefits;
  • Answer all of your other retirement questions.


For more information about filing for retirement, see the UFT's step-by-step guide: https://www.uft.org/news/you-should-know/filing-retirement-step-step and a guide to pension benefits: https://www.uft.org/news/you-should-know/pension-benefits-nutshell.