RAILROAD RETIREMENT 

BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS

AGE 18-19 AND IN ELEMENTARY 

OR SECONDARY SCHOOL

United States of America

Railroad Retirement Board

Visit our Web site at www.rrb.gov

Form G-316 (11-17)

For Use With

Form G-315 and G-320
Part I – Requirements For Student Benefits

Part I explains the general requirements for student benefits.

Employee’s Student Child 1

Unmarried Student 1

Full-Time Student 1

Home Schooling 1

Vacation Period 1

Month Of Graduation 1

Age 19 Attainment 1

Part II – Student Benefit In A Special Guaranty Case

Part II contains information about student benefits in the employee’s Special Guaranty 

computation

Employee’s Special Guaranty Increase 2

When A Student Can Be Included 2

Forms Needed To Include A Student In The Family Group 2

Independent Study And Home Schooling 2

One Application Concept For Special Guaranty 2

How A Student Benefit Is Paid 3

When The Special Guaranty Is No Longer Payable 3

Part III – Student Survivor Annuity

Part III of this booklet contains information concerning the forms needed to apply for student survivor annuities.

Student Survivor Annuity 3

Forms Needed To Qualify For A Student Survivor Annuity 3

Independent Study And Home Schooling 3

One Application Concept For A Survivor Annuity 3

How A Student Survivor Annuity Is Paid 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Background

This booklet contains important information regarding student benefits under the Railroad 

Retirement Act (RRA). We recommend that you read this booklet before you start filling 

out your statements. It contains information that you will need to know to complete your 

statements properly. 

Why This Is Important

This booklet contains information concerning student benefits that is important to you not 

only before you file your statements, but also after you file your statements. The student 

benefits are monitored in September, March, and June, or prior to a terminating 

event. Therefore, we suggest that you keep it handy for future reference.

OVERVIEW
Part IV – Events That Affect A Student’s Entitlement

Part IV contains information on other benefits that cause reductions to student benefits 

or cause the student to lose entitlement to all or part of those benefits

Social Security Benefit Or Other Railroad Retirement Annuity 4

Payments From Employers 4

Annual Earnings Exempt Amount 4

Nonrailroad Earnings In A Special Guaranty Case 4

Nonrailroad Earnings In A Survivor Annuity 5

Railroad Earnings In A Special Guaranty Case 5

Railroad Earnings In A Survivor Annuity 5

Stepchild Dependency 5

Terminating Events 5

Imprisonment Or Confinement Due To A Conviction For A Criminal Offense 5

Monitoring Student Entitlement 6

Part V – Events That Must Be Reported To The RRB

Part V explains events that must be reported to the RRB and provides instructions for 

reporting those events.

Change In School Attendance 6

Other Events To Be Reported 6

How To Report An Event 6

Office Hours 6

Page

The RRB has other booklets that can provide additional information:

References

Special Guaranty Computation

Booklet G-179 Special Guaranty In Employee 

And Spouse Annuities

Form G-77a How Work Affects Your Railroad 

Retirement Benefits

Survivor Annuity

Booklet RB-17 Survivor Annuities

Form G-77 How Earnings Affect Payment 

of Survivor Annuities

OVERVIEW, Continued
Part I

Requirements For Student Benefits

Employee’s Student Child

The term “child” means the employee’s unmarried natural child, adopted child, dependent 

stepchild, or, under certain conditions, grandchild whose parents are deceased or disabled. A 

child age 18-19 qualifies as a student if in fulltime attendance at an elementary or secondary 

school.

Unmarried Student

Students must be “unmarried.” They are unmarried if:

1.

2.

Full-Time Student

For Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) purposes, a 

student is generally considered to be in full-time 

attendance while in an elementary or secondary 

school course of at least 13 weeks duration with a 

minimum attendance of 20 hours per week. The 

program must be in accordance with the law of 

the State or other jurisdiction in which the student resides. This includes enrollment in:

1.

2.

3.

Home Schooling

The Railroad Retirement Board follows the laws 

of the state or other jurisdiction in which the 

student resides. Form G-315H, Checklist for 

Documentation Needed for Student Age 18-19 in 

Home Schooling, lists the items that most states 

require for home schooling. These include:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Vacation Period

A student is considered to be in “deemed” fulltime attendance during vacation, or certain other 

periods of non-attendance, if:

1.

2.

3.

Month Of Graduation

If a student ceases full time attendance (FTA) in a 

month and returns to school in the following month 

to attend graduation ceremonies, the student will 

be considered in FTA for the month of graduation. 

However, if there is an interval of one or more 

calendar months between the cessation of FTA 

and graduation, the student is not entitled after 

the month FTA ceases.

Age 19 Attainment

If students complete graduation requirements and 

attain age 19 in the same month, they are in FTA 

that month. If students then participate in their 

1

They have never been married; or,

They were married before the student benefit 

became payable, and that marriage ended by 

death, divorce, or annulment.

A written notice to the superintendent of the 

school district, including the name, age, and 

grade level of the student, the address at 

which the instruction is done, the source of 

instruction materials, the basic core curriculum, the proposed schedule, and the credentials of the teacher; 

Approval of the home schooling by the superintendent of the school district in which the 

student resides;

A teacher with at least a high school diploma;

Maintenance of home school attendance records 

for the school year; and,

Use of nationally recognized standardized 

achievement tests (including reading, mathematics, language arts, science and social 

studies) by the end of the school year.

The period does not exceed four months;

The period was preceded by full-time attendance at a qualified school; and,

The student intends to return to school on a 

full-time basis at the end of the period.

A public, private, or religious educational 

institution; 

An independent study program administered 

by the school district in which the student 

resides; or,

An elementary or secondary home school 

education.
graduation ceremonies in the following month, 

the students would also be in FTA in the month 

of graduation.

If students have not completed their requirements 

for high school diplomas or equivalent certificates, 

their student benefits normally end the first day 

of the month in which they attain age 19. 

An exception is made for students who are 

in actual full-time attendance in the month 

of attainment of age 19. If the students are 

in actual full-time attendance, they will be 

“deemed not to have attained age 19” until the 

earlier of the first day of the first month following completion of the course or the first day of 

the third month following the month in which the 

students attained age 19. 

Note: The exception does not apply to students 

who attain age 19 during the months of summer 

vacation. If the students attain age 19 during the 

summer vacation months, their student benefits 

end the first day of the month in which they attain 

age 19.

Part II

Student Benefit In A Special 

Guaranty Case 

Employee’s Special Guaranty Increase

The Special Guaranty provision of the Railroad 

Retirement Act (RRA) states that the total monthly 

benefits payable (excluding a supplemental annuity) to the employee’s family will not be less than 

the monthly amount which would have been payable under the Social Security Act (SS Act) if the 

railroad employment had been covered under the 

SS Act.

When A Student Can Be Included

A student can be included in the family group if the 

Special Guaranty rate exceeds the regular railroad 

retirement rate in the month the child becomes 

entitled as a student. Otherwise, a student benefit 

is not payable in a retirement case.

Forms Needed To Include A Student In The 

Family Group

The following forms are available at the RRB 

field office nearest you to develop the information 

needed to include the student in the family group:

1.

2.

Independent Study And Home Schooling

1.

2.

One Application Concept For Special 

Guaranty

A Form G-319 Statement Regarding Family and 

Earnings for the Special Guaranty Computation 

including minor children protects their rights to 

student benefits when they attain age 18, provided there is no break in entitlement between 

the month they attain age 18 and the month they 

become entitled as full-time students.

Employees who have children in elementary or 

high school at educational institutions, or in home 

schooling, in the month their children attain 

age 18, need only submit Form G-320 Student 

Questionnaire for Special Guaranty Computation

to furnish the RRB with verification of the fulltime school attendance in order to include the 

students in the Special Guaranty at age 18. The 

RRB also requires the documentation listed in 

Part I for home schooling cases. 

A new Form G-319 is not needed. 

2

Form G-319, Statement Regarding Family 

and Earnings for the Special Guaranty 

Computation is required from the employee 

to provide information about the child’s relationship to the employee. 

Form G-320, Student Questionnaire for 

Special Guaranty Computation is required 

from the employee to obtain current information about the school attendance.

If a student is enrolled at an educational 

institution for less than 20 hours per week, 

but participates in the school’s independent 

study program, provide documentation from 

the school recognizing and providing credits 

for the independent study.

The RRB requires the documentation listed 

in Part I, for home schooling cases.
How A Student Benefit Is Paid

The benefits are not paid directly to the student. 

If both the employee and the spouse are entitled 

to railroad retirement annuities, the amount of 

the total family benefit is divided between the 

employee and spouse annuities. The employee 

receives 2/3 of the family total (excluding any 

divorce spouse) as the employee monthly annuity rate. The spouse receives 1/3 of the family total (excluding any divorced spouse) as the 

spouse monthly annuity rate.

If there is no spouse annuitant, the total family 

Special Guaranty rate (excluding any divorced 

spouse) is paid to the employee as the employee 

monthly annuity rate.

When The Special Guaranty Is No Longer 

Payable

The Special Guaranty is not payable when the 

employee annuity is not payable.

Also, the Special Guaranty may no longer be 

payable when an event, which terminates the 

entitlement of a family member, causes the regular railroad formula rate to exceed the Special 

Guaranty rate. The student events are listed in 

Part IV of this booklet.

When the Special Guaranty ends, student benefits are no longer payable in retirement cases. 

Part III 

Student Survivor Annuity

Student Survivor Annuity

Student annuities are payable when the students, 

or their representatives, file survivor annuity 

applications and the students meet the requirements in Part I. 

Forms Needed To Qualify For A Student 

Survivor Annuity

The following are available at the RRB field 

office nearest you to develop the information 

needed for the student annuity: 

1.

2.

Independent Study And Home Schooling

If a student is enrolled at an educational institution for less than 20 hours per week, but participates in the school’s independent study program, you need to provide documentation from 

the school recognizing and providing credits for 

the independent study. The RRB requires the 

documentation listed in Part I for home schooling cases.

One Application Concept For A Survivor 

Annuity

Benefits for minor children or students in the 

retirement Special Guaranty computation do 

not convert to survivor annuities upon the death 

of the employee. A survivor application for a 

child’s annuity is required.

Otherwise, an application for children’s annuities 

filed by, or on behalf of, minor children protects 

their rights to student annuities when they attain 

age 18, provided there is no break in entitlement 

3

An Application for Child’s Annuity obtains 

information concerning a student’s relationship to the employee. This form can be filed 

through an RRB field office on Application 

Express (APPLE). 

Form G-315, Student Questionnaire is required 

to obtain the dates of school attendance and 

verification of the school attendance from the 

school official.
between the month they attain age 18 and the 

month they become entitled as full-time students. 

A new application for a child’s annuity is not 

needed.

Children who are elementary or high school 

students at educational institutions, or in home 

schooling, in the month they attain age 18, need 

only submit Form G-315 Student Questionnaire to 

furnish the RRB with verification of their full-time 

attendance in order to receive student benefits at 

age 18. The RRB also requires the documentation 

listed in Part I for home schooling cases. 

How A Student Survivor Annuity Is Paid

When possible, the student annuity payments 

are deposited directly into the annuitant’s checking or savings account at a financial institution. 

Therefore, bring one of the student’s checks with 

you when you file for benefits. This will allow the 

field office representative to enter the information 

in our payment system and tell the student when 

the direct deposit will take effect.

After a student application is processed, the 

first student payment will include all back 

payments that are due. This payment may 

be received at any time during the month. 

Payments issued after the first payment will 

be paid on the first business day of each month. 

The payment made at the beginning of the 

month actually represents the annuity due for 

the previous month.

Part IV 

Events That Affect A Student’s 

Entitlement

Social Security Benefits Or Other Railroad 

Retirement Annuities

Social security benefits or other railroad retirement annuities will reduce the student’s benefit.

1.

2.

Payments From Employers

A child cannot be entitled as a student if the 

child’s employer asks or requires the child to 

attend school and pays the child for doing so.

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.)

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 

4

In Special Guaranty cases, any social security 

benefits or other railroad retirement benefits 

that any student receives, on the employee’s 

earnings record or on someone else’s earnings 

record, are deducted from the increase to the 

employee’s annuity based on the student 

benefit; or,

In survivor cases, the receipt of social security benefits on a different claim number 

reduces the student Tier 1 benefits. If the 

student is entitled to more than one RRB 

survivor annuity, only the higher of the two 

annuities is payable.
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.

If a student has earnings over the Annual 

Earnings Exempt Amount, the excess is charged 

against the amount that the student benefit 

increases the Special Guaranty rate only. A 

student will lose up to $1 in benefits for 

every $2 of earnings over the Annual Earnings 

Exempt Amount. In some cases, the reduction 

for earnings for one family member is offset 

by an increase to the Special Guaranty benefit 

computed for other family members.

If a student works outside the United States for 

45 or more hours in a month and does not pay 

Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) or 

Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA) taxes 

for this work, the student’s benefit will be reduced, 

regardless of the amount of money earned.

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 the 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.

If a student works outside the United States for 

45 or more hours in a month and does not pay 

FICA or SECA taxes for this work, the student’s 

annuity will be reduced, regardless of the amount 

of money earned.

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 nonrailroad employment, also 

include the student’s railroad compensation.

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.

Stepchild Dependency

Student benefits for the Special Guaranty rate 

ends if a stepchild is no longer dependent on the 

employee.

Terminating Events

Student benefits end when the student marries, 

dies, or enters active military service.

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. 

To be imprisoned or under a sentence of confinement means confinement to a jail, prison or 

other penal institution or correctional facility. 

This includes any facility, which is under the 

control and jurisdiction of a penal system, or any 

facility in which a person may be confined. This 

also includes hospitals, institutions and halfway 

houses, which are used as places of confinement. 

Persons under sentence of confinement to any 

of these facilities are considered confined even 

though they may go outside the facility to work, 

attend school or for some other reason.

Prisoners who are released on parole or because 

their sentence has ended, been suspended or 

overturned are no longer considered to be confined or imprisoned.

5
Monitoring Student Entitlement

During the year of student entitlement, student 

monitoring is scheduled for September, March, 

and when entitlement ends. 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.

For home schooling, updated documentation, 

such as current attendance records, updated 

course of studies, current test scores and current 

evaluations should also be included.

Part V

Events That Must Be Reported To 

The RRB 

Change In School Attendance

Students must notify the nearest office of the 

RRB immediately when any of the following 

events occur: 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Other Events To Be Reported

Notify the nearest office of the RRB if the students:

1

2.

3.

4.

5.

How To Report An Event

You can locate the nearest RRB office by calling 

877-772-5772 or by visiting our Web site at www.

rrb.gov. You can also send a secure message at 

our Web site. 

When you report an event, be sure to include all 

of the following:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

When reporting a change of address, include 

the new address, the old address, and the date 

the student will start receiving mail at the new 

address.

Office Hours

If you wish, you may also call or visit any RRB field 

office. Office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 

from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday. If 

you plan on visiting an RRB office, please call for 

an appointment so that we can better serve you.

6

Students change schools; 

Students complete the requirements for a 

secondary school diploma; 

Students reduce school attendance to less 

than full-time or less than 20 hours per week; 

Students stop attending school and do not 

intend to resume full-time attendance within 

the next four months; or

Students start attending school that will be 

paid for by an employer.

Marry, die, are adopted, or enter military 

service; 

Are stepchildren in a Special Guaranty rate 

case who are no longer dependent upon the 

employee;

Earn over their Annual Earnings Exempt 

Amount;

File for, or receive, social security benefits or 

another railroad retirement annuity; or

Change their address.

The student’s railroad retirement claim 

number;

The railroad employee’s name and the 

student’s name;

Your daytime telephone number; 

A clear explanation of what event you are 

reporting;

The exact date (month, day, year) of the 

event; and,

If you are reporting work, include the name 

of the employer and the estimated earnings 

for the year.
NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) 

regulations, no qualified person may be discriminated against on the basis of disability. RRB 

programs and activities must be accessible to all qualified applicants and beneficiaries, including those with impaired vision and/or hearing. Individuals with disabilities needing assistance (including auxiliary aids or program information in accessible formats) should contact 

the nearest RRB office. 

Complaints of alleged discrimination by the RRB on the basis of disability must be filed within 

90 days in writing with the

 Director of Administration

 Railroad Retirement Board

 844 North Rush Street

 Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275

Questions about individual rights under this regulation may be directed to the RRB’s Director 

of Equal Opportunity at the same address shown above.

FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE HOT LINE

The RRB’s Office of Inspector General established its Hotline as a public service. The Hotline 

provides individuals with a means to report or discuss any suspected misconduct relating to the 

RRB, its programs or employees.

If you believe a doctor, hospital, or other health care provider is billing Medicare for services 

not provided or for unnecessary medical procedures or supplies; someone is illegally receiving 

RRB benefits; or you wish to report or discuss any other suspected misconduct relating to the 

RRB, its programs or employees, please contact the Office of Inspector General at:

 Toll-Free Hotline: 1-800-772-4258

 U.S. Mail: RRB-OIG Hotline Officer

 844 North Rush Street

 Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275

 Fax: 312-751-4342

 Email: hotline@oig.rrb.gov

Please review the RRB’s email notice and Internet privacy policy at www.rrb.gov before

submitting information online.

Note: Please do not contact the Office of Inspector General’s Hotline with questions regarding 

benefit eligibility requirements, delayed payments or similar problems. These types of matters 

should be directed to an RRB office.