After five years of development, the anticipated STARS pension administration system launched Monday, April 13. Now in use for all members, retirees, employers and local boards, STARS brings a modern, efficient platform for accessing information, managing accounts and performing tasks.

“The launch of STARS is a milestone for PSPRS and the stakeholders we serve,” said PSPRS Interim Deputy Administrator Erin Higbee. “We are proud to bring this new system online and recognize that transitions of this scale can present challenges. We are committed to helping our members, retirees, employers and local boards successfully navigate and use STARS.”

Users needing assistance may contact PSPRS at [email protected]. Following the STARS launch, the new Secure Message feature will become the primary method for submitting inquiries and requests, replacing email to ensure faster and more secure service.

Employers seeking additional information about STARS, including training videos and guidebooks, can visit the STARS webpage.

A brief history of STARS

After a competitive bidding process, PSPRS contracted with Vitech Inc. in July 2021 to develop a new pension administration system with the agency’s software developers, member services and accounting staff. PSPRS also contracted with Agile Progress to help manage the complex project.

Building the new online service for the multi-tiered public safety, corrections officer and elected officials pension plans took years of collaborative effort. Additional system benefits, like the Cancer Insurance Program and application of retiree health insurance subsidies would also be included.

In the spring of 2024, the developing system was dubbed STARS – “Serving Those Actives and Retired,” a keen spin on the agency’s “Serving those who serve others” motto offered by PSPRS Local Board Relationship Manager Joann Lowey in a staff naming contest.

Painstaking development and testing continued while new laws and system requirements emerged to add to the challenge. With system structure and features largely in place, the process of moving existing information into STARS took shape. Employment, contribution and benefit histories dating back to the 1990s were migrated into the new system. One transfer included more than 85 million lines of data.

Comprehensive training for staff and employer users followed in February and March 2026. A late-May “blackout” of the online “EPIC” member, employer, and local board portals in use for decades provided a clean cut-off point to initiate the launch of STARS. Monthly pension distribution, the agency’s core mission, occurred for the last time through EPIC on May 30 – a $136 million pension “run” to almost 28,500 plan retirees and beneficiaries. All distributions, starting in April, will occur through STARS.

“This project has been an all-hands-on-deck effort for years on end,” said Member Services Director Robert Ortega. “Pension systems around the country are replacing aging systems with modern designs and features that are easier to use, more intuitive and really allow plans to offer better service. We are excited to start this new chapter.”