Delegate Toolkit

Support Members in Your District

Your colleagues will look to you for information about their NYSTRS benefits. They may expect you to answer retirement- and NYSTRS-related questions, from “What membership tier am I in?” to “How can I prepare for retirement?”

Below are some tools to help you in aiding and responding to your fellow NYSTRS members.

Member Resources

General Information

• The Active Members’ Handbook helps working and vested members better understand their retirement benefits.
• MyNYSTRS allows members to file forms and applications online, including Beneficiary Designation, Prior Service Claim, Address Change, and Application for Retirement.

Membership & Tiers

• Application for Membership (NET-2) – Please encourage new NYSTRS members to complete this as soon as possible so we have their contact information and beneficiary designation. 
• Tiers of membership (page 8 of the Active Members’ Handbook)
• Membership overview for new mandatory members
• Membership overview for new optional members

Contributions

• Contribution rate information for Tier 6 members
• Borrowing From Your NYSTRS Contributions
• Contributions, loans and credit (page 12 of the Active Members’ Handbook)
• Members can also check their contribution rate in MyNYSTRS

Service Credit

• Service credit overview
• Service milestones
• You Deserve the Credit outlines the different ways members can receive service credit, which may affect their milestones and benefits.

Benefits

• Service retirement (includes pension calculation details)
• Death benefits
• Disability retirement

Retirement Prep

Ready to Retire

Our Ready to Retire page provides members with an overview of NYSTRS’ retirement process, including the NYSTRS Retirement Checklist and Retirement Planning FAQs.

PREP Seminars

Members can attend a Pension & Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminar to prepare for retirement, better understand their pension benefits, develop a plan to achieve their retirement goals, and learn more about Social Security.

Benefits Consultations

Benefits consultations allow members to meet with a NYSTRS representative to discuss NYSTRS benefits, see the impact of reaching key service milestones and review their pension estimate. They are available to members who are age 53 or older and expect to retire within three years of the current school year and to members with potential disability retirement eligibility.

Answering Member Questions

FAQs

Along with the resources found in this toolkit, our Active Member FAQs address many common member questions. We also offer additional FAQs for retirement planning and a variety of legal topics. 

MyNYSTRS

Encourage members in your district to register for MyNYSTRS to access their personal NYSTRS benefit information and complete other key tasks online.

• Send secure messages about their retirement benefits
• Review and update their information, including contact information and beneficiaries
• Submit forms, such as prior service claims and loan applications
• E-subscribe to the Your Source newsletter and their Benefit Profile
• Use the pension estimator
• File for retirement

Contact Us

Members can contact us for personalized responses to their specific questions.

Elect Teacher Board Members

As a delegate, you are expected to attend the two-day Annual Delegates Meeting held each November, where you will elect an active teacher member to NYSTRS’ Board. A host of educational presentations are also offered at the meeting. Visit the Delegates/Annual Delegates Meeting page to learn more about the meeting and the active teacher Board member election.

Stay Informed

We are committed to keeping you informed so you have the latest news and resources at your fingertips. 

• NYSTRS News emails, sent monthly, contain recent news and helpful information. Please share these with your NYSTRS-member colleagues, so they stay informed as well.
• Delegate News emails are sent periodically to alert you of notable administrative-related topics of note. Employers receive the companion Administrative Bulletin.
• Our Legislation page outlines recent and pending legislation that impacts NYSTRS and may affect members in your district.

Advocacy

NYSTRS faithfully administers laws as written and provides members with information on pending and recent legislation. 

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) is a statewide union that gives its members a voice in their profession, including matters related to financial security, health care and social justice. Visit NYSUT’s Legislative Action Center for more information about legislative advocacy on behalf of public educators in New York State. NYSUT can also answer questions related to health insurance. 

Questions?

If you’re unsure of your status as a delegate or alternate, you can view the full list of delegates and alternates on our Delegates/About Delegates page. For other questions regarding your role as a delegate or alternate, please call 518-447-2900, ext. 4071 or email us at [email protected].