The gist
STRS Ohio froze COLAs in 2017. The board has since granted several one-time increases and approved a 1.6% permanent adjustment effective July 1, 2026 for members who retired on or before June 1, 2022. STRS Ohio COLAs are board decisions, not automatic inflation matches.Key facts
- COLAs were suspended in 2017; recent years have seen partial restorations
- Fiscal year 2027 COLA: 1.6%, effective July 1, 2026
- You must be retired five years before your first COLA
Why STRS Ohio retirees lost their raises
A cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is a percentage increase added to your monthly pension to help it keep pace with prices. For decades STRS Ohio paid an automatic 3% every year. During the funding pressure that followed the 2008–09 market crash, the legislature and the board reduced the COLA and then, in 2017, suspended it entirely.
That suspension is the reason many STRS Ohio retirees saw the same check for years. It was not a processing error and it was not aimed at any individual — the board paused the benefit system-wide to protect the fund's long-term health.
What the board has given back
As the fund's condition improved, the STRS Ohio Retirement Board began approving increases again. Some were one-time payments for a single year; the most recent action makes a 1.6% adjustment permanent, added to the base benefit, effective July 1, 2026 (fiscal year 2027).
"Permanent" here means the 1.6% stays in your base going forward, unlike a one-time bump that is paid for twelve months and then removed. It does not mean a 1.6% COLA is guaranteed every year after — each year's COLA is still a separate board vote.
| Period | COLA action |
|---|---|
| Through 2016 | 3% automatic each year |
| 2017 | COLA suspended |
| Recent fiscal years | One-time and partial increases approved by the board |
| Fiscal year 2027 (from July 1, 2026) | 1.6% permanent adjustment |
The five-year waiting rule
You do not receive a COLA in your first years of retirement. STRS Ohio applies an increase only to members who have been retired for five years. For the July 1, 2026 adjustment, that means your retirement date must be on or before June 1, 2022.
If you retired more recently, you are not being skipped permanently — you simply have not reached the five-year mark yet. Your first eligible COLA arrives on the increase date that falls on or after your fifth retirement anniversary.
Planning around an unpredictable COLA
Because STRS Ohio COLAs are discretionary, it is safer to build a retirement budget that assumes little or no annual increase, then treat any COLA the board grants as a cushion rather than a plan input. A pension that buys less each year is the base case for STRS Ohio unless the board acts.
This also affects the choice between retiring now and working another year. An extra year of service permanently raises the base your future COLAs are calculated on, and it shortens the five-year wait relative to your remaining lifespan. Run the numbers with STRS Ohio rather than assuming the old 3% still applies.
How the COLA is applied to your check
When the board grants a COLA, it is added as a percentage of your base benefit — the original amount set at retirement — unless the board specifies compounding. A 1.6% adjustment on a $3,000 base adds about $48 a month.
You do not need to apply. STRS Ohio applies eligible increases automatically on the effective date and shows the change in your account. If you are within five years of retirement, expect no COLA until you pass that mark.
Before you act on this
- Check whether your retirement date is on or before the current five-year cutoff.
- Confirm the COLA appeared in your STRS Ohio account after the effective date.
- Budget assuming little or no COLA in future years.
- Follow STRS Ohio's COLA page for each year's board action.
Frequently asked questions
Does STRS Ohio have a COLA in 2026?
Yes. The board approved a 1.6% permanent cost-of-living adjustment effective July 1, 2026, for members who retired on or before June 1, 2022.
Why didn't I get an STRS Ohio COLA?
The most common reason is the five-year rule: you must be retired five years before your first COLA. STRS Ohio also suspended COLAs entirely in 2017 and has only partially restored them.
Is the STRS Ohio COLA permanent?
The 1.6% adjustment is added permanently to your base benefit. It does not mean a COLA is guaranteed in future years — each year's COLA is a separate board decision.
Where this comes from
Sources were reviewed on September 9, 2026. Rules and member records maintained by the retirement system control.
STRS Ohio — Cost-of-living adjustment FAQOfficial source ↗STRS Ohio — 1.6% COLA approved for fiscal year 2027Official source ↗STRS Ohio — Eligibility requirementsOfficial source ↗General educational information only — this is not a formal benefit determination, nor financial, tax, or legal advice. Verify anything account-specific with the retirement system itself.