Policy and Systems

During the year of student entitlement, student monitoring is scheduled for September, March, and June, or prior to a terminating event.The RRB field office nearest you releases a monitoring Form G-315 Student Questionnaire or monitoring Form G-320 Student Questionnaire for Special Guaranty Computation to obtain current full-time school attendance information. This information must be sent to the RRB within 30 days of receipt of the monitoring form. Failure to do so may create an overpayment of student benefits.

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Imprisonment or Confinement Due to a Conviction for a Criminal Offense

The amount of student benefits may be affected if the student is imprisoned or under a sentence of confinement due to a conviction for a criminal offense.

A crime is a criminal offense if it is considered to be a criminal offense under applicable law. Most states define certain crimes as criminal offenses. However, some states and foreign countries do not classify crimes as criminal offenses. If a crime has not been classified as a criminal offense, it is still considered to be a criminal offense if it is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year.

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Terminating Events

Student benefits end when the student marries, dies or enters active military service.

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Stepchild Dependency

Students benefits for the Special Guaranty rate end if a stepchild is no longer dependent on the employee.

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Railroad Earnings in a Survivor Annuity

Students cannot be paid survivor annuities for any month in which they work for a railroad or other employer in the railroad industry.

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Railroad Earnings in a Special Guaranty Case

A student who is working for a railroad may be included in the family group for the Special Guaranty rate, provided all other entitlement requirements are met. When determining student earnings over the Annual Earnings Exempt Amount from employment, also include the student's railroad compensation.

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Nonrailroad Earnings in a Survivor Annuity

If students have earnings over their Annual Earnings Exempt Amount, the excess is charged against the students' annuities. Students will lose up to $1 in benefits for every $2 of earnings over their Annual Earnings Exempt Amount. The reduction for earnings for students does not create an increase to railroad retirement annuities computed for other family members. Refer to Form G-77, How Earnings Affect Payment of Survivor Annuities for current Annual Earnings Exempt Amounts.

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Nonrailroad Earnings in a Special Guaranty Case

When the employee's annuity is based on age and the employee has earnings over the Annual Earnings Exempt Amount for the employee's age group, the excess is charged against the employee benefit and the benefits of all others included in the family group. Refer to Form G-77a How Work Affects Your Railroad Retirement Benefits, for current Annual Earnings Exempt Amounts.

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Annual Earnings Exempt Amount

Earnings from nonrailroad employment can affect student benefits. The term Annual Earnings Exempt Amount means the yearly amount of money a student can earn from nonrailroad employment without losing railroad retirement benefits. (Note: This is the same as the Annual Earnings Exempt Amount for an employee and a survivor annuitant who has not attained their full retirement age and will not attain their full retirement age in that year.)

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