Retirement Benefits

Benefits Overview

The information below provides an overview of retirement benefits. For more details, please contact the numbers provided below, or benefits by email at benefits@ku.edu or by phone at 785-864-7402.

When Can I Retire?

Retirement Notification

  • Faculty & Academic Staff should submit a letter to their supervisor with their retirement date as soon as the date is finalized.  (Please see KU's policy on resignation and retirement dates for academic year faculty.)
  • Unclassified professional staff and university support staff should submit a letter to their supervisor with their retirement date as soon as the date is finalized.

Health Insurance

When you retire from the University of Kansas, you have the right to remain in the state's group health insurance program by paying the premium. Your spouse and qualified dependents can also remain on the health insurance contract.  If you return to work at KU, in any capacity, depending on your rehire date and FTE, you may be eligible to rejoin the active employee health plan for a period of time, thus saving yourself hundreds of dollars in premiums.  The Benefits Office will work with you to determine your eligibility.  If you are eligible for the active employee health plan, the SEHP’s rules are that you cannot continue in the retiree direct bill plan with a Medicare-supplemental plan as that would violate Medicare’s Secondary Payer rules.

Death Benefit

If you receive KPERS retirement benefits, you may be qualified to a $4,000 death benefit that will be paid to the named beneficiary.

Accumulated Vacation and/or Sick Leave

When you retire, a lump sum payment will be made for your accumulated vacation and/or sick leave hours.

​Vacation Leave - 

Vacation leave of up to 176 hours will be paid at termination of employment, and up to 240 hours at retirement or, if you are retirement eligible, upon termination of employment.

Sick Leave -

Sick leave will be paid, only at retirement or, if you are retirement eligible, upon termination of employment, based upon years of service and accumulation as follows:

Years of ServiceHours (Days Accumulated)Hours (Days Paid)
8 years800 hours (100 days)up to 240 hours (30 days)
15 years1000 hours (125 days)up to 360 hours (45 days)
25 years1200 hours (150 days)up to 480 hours (60 days)

You can learn more about vacation and sick leave accruals, payouts, and conditions by reviewing the Vacation Leave Policy  and Sick Leave Policy.

Emeritus/Emerita Status

To learn about emeritus/emerita conditions and procedures, please refer to the Emeritus Status Policy.  To learn how faculty who are granted emeritus/emerita status upon retirement may continue to participate in graduate education, refer to this Graduate Studies policy.  

Working At KU After Retirement

The University has a policy regarding reemployment of KU Retirees based on IRS Guidelines and the Retiree Rehire Policy. There are also special Working After Retirement rules that impact KPERS retirees, regardless of the entity from which the KPERS retiree retired (e.g., school district, city, county, state of Kansas agency).  For more information see the Working at KU After Retirement information.

Additional Information

Other Benefits

BenefitSourceAdditional Information
Retiree Identification CardKU Card ServicesCall 785-864-3322 for more information.
Parking PassParking ServicesTake KU Retiree ID card to Parking Services: two parking permit options available: one is free and one has a fee (for rates, please visit Parking). Retiree is defined as “any faculty or staff person who has retired from KU who has not returned to active employment on campus equal or greater than .5 FTE.”  For more information, please call 785-864-PARK.
Lied Center TicketsLied Center Box OfficeContact the Lied Center for information about tickets and discounts at 785-864-2787
Kansas AthleticsAllen Field HouseRetirees can purchase faculty/staff tickets. Call 785-864-3141 for more information.
Recreation ServicesKU Recreation Services

  https://recreation.ku.edu/memberships

Library usageUniversity Libraries

Full library privileges. Call 785-864-8983 for more information.

Sprague ApartmentsKU Endowment AssociationRetiree apartments available for lease. Call 785-832-7400 for more information
KU Retirees ClubEndacott SocietyOrganization for retired faculty, staff and spouses. Call 785-864-4760 or email endacottsociety@gmail.com.  For more information, see endacottsociety.org.
KU EmailIT Account ManagementYour KU E-mail account can be maintained as a retiree, as appropriate.
University DirectoriesUniversity RelationsRetirees with emeritus status are automatically included if living in Kansas and the KC metro area; other retirees who live in Kansas and the KC metro area are included upon request. Call 785-864-7100 for more information.
KU Today e-NewsletterOffice of News and Media RelationsRetirees will receive the newsletter  via email. Call 785-864-7100 for more information.
Theatre & Dance TicketsUniversity Theatre Box Office 785-864-3982Contact the Department of Theatre and Dance for information about tickets and Discounts by calling or visiting the Box Office in Murphy Hall, M-F, noon-5pm.
KU IT ServicesKU IT

Information for Retirees: https://technology.ku.edu/retiree-information

*An accessible version of the PDFs on this site will be made available upon request. Please contact our office at hrdept@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format.