Retirement Plans

Oberlin College offers two retirement plans with TIAA, both are 403(b), tax-advantaged plans:

Defined Contribution Retirement Annuity (RA)

Oberlin will make pre-tax employer contributions after one-year of service and attaining age 26 into the  RA plan. Contributions from Oberlin are automatic and do not depend on any employee contribution.  Contributions from Oberlin are based on age.  

• Age 26-34 5%
• Age 35-44 8%
• Age 45-54 10% on the first $100,000 of salary; 8% on salary above $100,000
• Age 55 + 12% on the first $100,000 of salary; 8% on salary above $100,000 

Supplemental Retirement Account Annuity (SRA)

Employees are eligible to participate in the SRA upon hire. Contributions are made on a pre-tax basis from  one’s paycheck. 

For more information, contact Oberlin’s TIAA representative, Don Denault, at ddenault@tiaa.org for  assistance in enrollment.  

To schedule an appointment, go to: www.tiaa.org/schedulenow. Select the option for Your Employer click  on schedule, then select Ohio, then Oberlin College. Available appointment times will populate. Call to  schedule an appointment (800) 732-8353 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday 

For 2024, the annual IRS contribution limits for an individual are: 

• Age 50 or less in 2024 = $23,000
• Age 50 or more in 2024 = $30,500 

This plan encompasses the Roth IRA: Employees are also eligible to make after-tax contributions to a Roth account upon hire. Unlike the pre-tax Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA), Roth contributions are made from your paycheck after federal and state taxes have been taken out. The primary advantage is that qualified distributions in retirement, including all investment earnings, are tax-free.

For 2025, the annual IRS contribution limits for an individual are:

• Age 50 or less in 2024            $23,500
• Age 50 or more in 2024          $31,000

Please note: This is a combined limit. The total amount of your contributions to both the pre-tax SRA and the after-tax Roth SRA cannot exceed these annual IRS limits.

Employees can choose to contribute to the pre-tax SRA, the after-tax Roth option, or a combination of both. Enrollment is done online through TIAA. You can also contact Oberlin's TIAA representative, Vincent Roney, at Vincent.Roney@tiaa.org for assistance.