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Update or affirm your FY2027 Employer Payment Plan

Before submitting FY2027 (July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027) reports, employers must update or affirm their Employer Payment Plan in MyTFFR.  ✓ MyTFFR will not accept reports or payments until your payment plan for the new fiscal year is confirmed.  ✓ If your contribution model changes, be sure to update your payroll software accordingly.  ✓ All employees covered under your plan (teachers, administrators, full-time and part-time staff) must follow the same contribution model. More info on Employer Payment Plan selection (aka "Project Model Data") is available in the MyTFFR Employer Self-Service Handbook, on RIO's YouTube Channel, or by selecting the "Help" button on MyTFFR Dashboard. For assistance, submit a ticket using the “Contact Us” tile on your MyTFFR Dashboard.

Model 2 Partial Payment Plan requires full percentages

Effective July 1, 2025, employers using the Model 2 Partial Employer Payment Plan must make member contributions in whole percentage increments (e.g., 1% or 2%). Fractional percentages (such as 1.5%) are no longer be accepted under this plan.

Webinar: New Member Enrollment and Return to Teach

Join RIO on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 10:00 a.m., CT, for a MyTFFR Office Hours session focused on New Member Enrollment and Return to Teach. This webinar will walk employers through the process of enrolling new TFFR members, returning members, and re-employed retired members. Participants will learn how to use enrollment files, when manual enrollment is required, and best practices for ensuring member information is reported correctly. Register for the Aug. 5th webinar. You will receive a confirmation email with a calendar invite and webinar access details.

MyTFFR Enrollment FAQs

When should I use the different enrollment options?

• New Enrollment: Use for nearly all scenarios, including new members, returning members, and retiree return to work.
• Return to Payroll: Use only if a member is returning from a leave of absence (e.g., military or sabbatical).
• Employment Change: Use if an already enrolled member has a status change, such as going from part-time to full-time.
• Termination: Use when a member retires or resigns. Set the termination date as the last day of the fiscal year so contract payouts and other compensation can be reported.

When should new members log in to complete the enrollment process?

New members should wait to log in to MyTFFR until after they have been included in their first payroll cycle and TFFR contributions have been reported.

MyTFFR uses reported salary contributions to activate a member's account. If a new member attempts to log in before any contributions have been reported, they will receive an error message.

Once the member's first contributions have been posted, they can log in to MyTFFR and complete the enrollment process.

Do I need to complete a new enrollment if a TFFR member is transferring from another school district?

Yes. If a TFFR member is new to your district, you must complete a new member enrollment, even if they have previously worked for another TFFR-covered employer.

When you enter the member's Social Security number, MyTFFR should locate their existing account. If no account is found, submit a contact ticket through MyTFFR so the RIO can assist you.

Do I need to complete a new enrollment for retirees who return to work?

Yes. A new enrollment must be completed each year a TFFR retiree returns to covered employment because their position, contract, and hours may change. More information is provided in the Re-employment of retired TFFR members article that follows. 

How do I handle enrollment for multiple new employees at once?

If you would like to upload an Enrollment File, you will need to use your district’s payroll software (e.g., Software Unlimited) to create the file. There isn't an option within MyTFFR to create an Enrollment File.

Resources

• MyTFFR Employer Self Service Handbook
  • Page 54, “Upload and Review Enrollment Files” (Contact your payroll software vendor for help in producing a Master Spreadsheet or File.)
  • Page 75, “Manually Add New Employment Event”
• RIO’s YouTube Channel
  • “Upload Enrollment Files and Manually Create an Enrollment” video
• MyTFFR Help Center
  
  • Select the Help button on your MyTFFR Dashboard and search for “New Employee Enrollment”

Re-employment of retired TFFR members

Retired TFFR members performing in-staff subbing, extracurricular duties, or professional development are exempt from hour limits and reporting, and no contributions need to be made, nor do hours for those duties need to be reported.

After satisfying the required waiting period, retired members may return to TFFR-covered employment in teaching, supervisory, or administrative services positions under three Return to Work options: 

Option 1: General Rule - Annual Hour Limit 

Retirees are allowed to return to TFFR-covered employment without losing their retirement benefits, as long as the employment limitations are met. 

•  A waiting period of 30 days from retirement date (assuming the retiree has been paid their first TFFR benefit).
• Retiree doesn’t exceed the maximum hours per fiscal year (July 1–June 30)
  • 9-month contract: 700 hours
  • 10-month contract: 800 hours
  • 11-month contract: 900 hours
  • 12-month contract: 1,000 hours
• TFFR employer and employee contributions must be paid.

Option 2: Exception A - Critical Shortage Area (CSA)

Certain retirees can return to TFFR-covered employment without losing retirement benefits, even if they exceed the annual hour limitations. 

• One-year waiting period from retirement date.
• During the waiting period, retirees may perform:
  • Non-contracted substitute teaching
  • Extracurricular duties
  • Professional development activities
•  TFFR employer and employee contributions must be paid.

For the 2026–2027 school year, the Education Standards and Practices Board has designated all teaching content areas as critical shortage areas. No administrator positions have been designated as critical shortage areas.

Option 3: Exception B - Benefit Suspension and Recalculation 

After a 30-day waiting period, retirees who return to TFFR covered employment and exceed the annual hour limit.

• The retiree's monthly benefit is suspended on the first day of the month following the month in which the annual hour limit is reached.
• TFFR employer and employee contributions must be paid.
• Upon subsequent retirement, retirees benefits will be recalculated.

Annual approval is required for all TFFR members returning to a covered position

• Employer must complete and submit the New Enrollment in MyTFFR within 30 days of the retiree returning to work (Late submission may result in a $250 employer penalty and loss of one month’s benefit for the retiree.)
• A contract, written agreement, or other return to work documentation is required to be uploaded through the ‘Upload a Document’ tile, also found in MyTFFR.
• A new enrollment is required each school year that a retired member returns to TFFR-covered employment.

Questions: review both the Employer Guide and MyTFFR Employer Self-Service Handbook available on the TFFR Employer webpage. 

Reminder: report summer teaching when earned

Summer school and drivers’ ed salaries, typically earned in June and July, must be reported in the fiscal year earned, not when paid. Salary earned in June should be reported on the June report due July 15. Salary earned in July should be reported on the July report due Aug. 15. If a salary is reported in the wrong fiscal year, submit a contact ticket so RIO can help you make the correction.

TFFR reporting and payment deadline reminder

TFFR reports and payments are due the 15th of the following month (i.e., June report is due by July 15).  ✓ Only one report can be submitted per day.  ✓ If reports or payments are late, a $250 penalty plus interest of 1% of the amount due per month will be accessed. Except for unintentional reporting errors, any TFFR business partner failing to file reports or pay the amounts required is subject to a civil penalty under state statute, NDCC 15-39.1-23.

Thank you for a successful year-end close

A sincere thank you to our business partners for your outstanding work during this year's fiscal year-end close. Meeting TFFR's year-end reporting deadline requires extra time, careful attention to detail, and balancing competing priorities. We recognize the long hours many of you dedicated to completing your reports, and we sincerely appreciate your commitment. Your efforts made this one of our most successful year-end closes to date. Of our 204 participating employers, only 2 had outstanding fiscal year-end reports after the deadline. That's an exceptional achievement and a testament to your professionalism and partnership. Thank you for everything you do to support North Dakota's educators and TFFR. We couldn't do it without you!

Review your MyTFFR organization contacts and user roles

Business partners can add Organization Contacts in MyTFFR and assign roles based on each employee's responsibilities—Contribution Reporting, Human Resources, Finance, Viewing, and Web Administration.

• Each organization should only designate one contact, typically the Business Manager, to serve as the Primary Role for the organization.
• Be sure at least one staff member has the Web Administration role. Only users with this role can submit contact tickets.

For step-by-step instructions, see Create & Maintain Organization Information in the MyTFFR Employer Self-Service Handbook. Detailed role descriptions are available in Appendix 1.

How to produce a contributions report using MyTFFR

Summary reports, used to verify annual contribution totals, can be run using MyTFFR. From your dashboard, select the hamburger menu (≡) in the upper-left corner.

• Scroll down to Organization Information and select Organization Details.
• At the top of your Organization Detials page, choose "Generate Current FY Summary Report" or "Generate Last FY Summary Report" (screenshot below). 

Encourage members to manage their MyTFFR account

Through the MyTFFR Member Self-Service portal, TFFR members have direct access to their retirement account and are responsible for keeping their information current.

If an employee requests to update their account information, direct them to MyTFFR's member login button on RIO's website.

Using MyTFFR, members can:

• Update their contact information and beneficiary designations
• View their salary history, service credit, and account balance
• Purchase eligible service credit
• Estimate future retirement benefits
• Apply for retirement

If they require assistance, step-by-step instructions are provided in the MyTFFR Help Center or by watching tutorial videos on RIO's YouTube channel.

2026-27 TFFR contributions remain the same

TFFR contribution rates remain the same for FY2025 (i.e., July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027).

• Member Contribution, 11.75%
• Employer Contribution, 12.75%

In case you missed it . . . 

Armstrong appoints... State Board of Higher Education, Gov's Office News

SIB adopts modernized governance structure, RIO News

ND launches "BRIDGE" initiative to modernize student information system, DPI News

K-12 Data Modernization Bridge Updatee, DPI News

Peterson appointed Deputy Superintendent for ND Dept of Public Instruction, DPI News

State leaders announce education technology policy survey, DPI News

ND students named semifinalists for U.S. Presidential Scholars Recognition, DPI News

Bachmeier seeks applicants for student cabinet, DPI News

50 outstanding educators named 2026 ND County Teachers of the Year, DPI News

Armstrong names 2026 Governor's Band and Chorus, Gov's Office News

Connections: meet a board member and a team member

Mike Burton, TFFR Trustee Board Member I think I have been involved in education almost my entire life. I went from K-12 in public schools, to a BS degree from NDSU and in science, then 41 years as a science teacher in Fargo Public Schools. During my teaching years I also earned an MS degree from Mississippi State University in earth science. While teaching I was always involved with working for teachers as building rep, president and chief negotiator for the Fargo Education Association and a board member for NDEA, now NDU. I also held many offices with the North Dakota Science teachers Association, was a president of the National Earth Science Teachers Association and served a term on the board of the National Science teachers Association.   After retiring from teaching, I got involved with the North Dakota Retired Teachers Association, Cass County Area Retired Teachers Association, Fargo Retired Teachers Association, and as a trustee on the TFFR board. I was motivated to become a member of the TFFR board because of the high regard I hold for people that teach. I also thought it would be interesting and challenging. The most challenging thing TFFR does is its basic job, provide a promised sum of money to each retired North Dakota teacher each and every month for the total of their retired life. It still amazes me that TFFR must produce over $20,000,000 monthly not only to pay member benefits but also reduce the unfunded liability to zero by 2040, and they are doing it. I try to stay informed about issues affecting the education profession, especially those affecting pensions, by reading the publication Pensions and Investments and participating in online classes and discussions presented by the National Education Association, National Council on Teacher Retirement, National Institute on Retirement Security, NDSU Challey Institute, and Pensions and Investments. Most of these organizations are involved in pensions or the economy in general. I have also attended several conferences put on by NCTR. A message for members, pay attention to your pension plan. I know as a teacher I had so much going on in my life that my pension really didn’t concern me until I got close to retirement. Your TFFR pension is a defined benefit plan, and these plans are under attack across the nation. Pay attention to what is happening in North Dakota and also be aware of what is happening in other states. As I look forward to my last year as a TFFR board member I have been honored to serve the teachers of North Dakota. I wish all the retired teachers the best possible retirement and all the active teachers after your years of service that a pension will be there for you.

Jeff Stillwell, Application Support Specialist Tell us about life before you joined the Retirement and Investment Office team? Prior to joining RIO in 2023, I spent nearly 20 years working in IT as a programmer at the North Dakota Supreme Court. During those 20 years, technology was rapidly changing and I was part of many different system replacements and modernization programs. What is your educational background? In 2003, I attended the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND where I got an Associates of Science with an emphasis in computer programming. Many years later, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Minot State University. Why did you choose to work for the North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office? My most enjoyable part of working in IT is building and integrating new systems. I knew someone who was working at RIO, and they shared with me an open IT position and all the IT projects that RIO was looking to do in the coming years. The first major project was a full system replacement and data conversion for the TFFR pension system. What aspects of your job do you find the most challenging? Keeping up and using new technologies is often the most enjoyable and the most challenging. When I started in IT in 2003, we had a single mainframe system that lived in a closet that used a single programming language. Nowadays, we have systems hosted all over the US that all use different tech stacks. What do you enjoy doing in your free time away from work? I enjoy traveling but especially like to go on cruises. Since COVID, I’ve done over 20 different cruises. My favorite ones are Alaska and Southern Caribbean to the ABC Islands. Outside of travel, I enjoy sports and watching the Vikings, Timberwolves, Bismarck Larks, and F1.

Reporting Reminders

TFFR Employer webpage: resources to help business partners accurately report TFFR member salaries, contributions and service credit.

Fast Facts: an overview of the TFFR program includes a breakdown of contribution rates and membership tiers.

MyTFFR Employer Resources

MyTFFR is a secure Employer Self-Service Portal where employers report and manage employer and employee contributions.

Getting Started with MyTFFR

• Business Partner Resource
• Employer Self-Service Handbook
• Training Videos