Virginia › Educational services › 5,000 to 24,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
The George Washington University Retirement Plan for Faculty and Staff
Sponsored by The George Washington University, Ashburn, VA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
The George Washington University of Ashburn, Virginia sponsors The George Washington University Retirement Plan for Faculty and Staff, a money purchase plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 13,586 participants (4,055 active) and $1.45B in net assets.
Net assets came to $106,671 per participant, well above the $64,499 median for defined contribution plans with 5,000 to 24,999 participants and well above the $73,018 median for defined contribution plans in educational services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $43.6M during the year, or $10,749 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,424; participants contributed — and $2.3M arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $88.5M.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $56K: $4.14 per participant, well below the same-size median of $53.38. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $0. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $506M in 2009 to $1.45B in 2024 (up 187%), and participants from 12,429 to 13,586 (up 9%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $106,671 | $64,499 | $73,018 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $10,749 | $2,424 | $2,838 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $4.14 | $53.38 | $95.66 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.00% | 0.09% | 0.13% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | — | $54.85 | $89.26 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 5,000 to 24,999 participants (2,605 plans), educational services (2,753) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13,586 | $1.45B | $106,671 | $43.6M | — | $56K |
| 2023 | 13,553 | $1.32B | $97,142 | $41.1M | — | $55K |
| 2022 | 13,560 | $1.15B | $85,151 | $40.1M | — | $29K |
| 2021 | 13,849 | $1.35B | $97,777 | $29.5M | — | $33K |
| 2020 | 14,472 | $1.22B | $84,432 | $30.9M | — | $28K |
| 2019 | 14,534 | $1.09B | $74,936 | $40.0M | — | $21K |
| 2018 | 14,408 | $938M | $65,098 | $39.0M | — | $11K |
| 2017 | 14,287 | $990M | $69,316 | $37.9M | — | $5,000 |
| 2016 | 14,179 | $866M | $61,084 | $36.7M | — | $7,000 |
| 2015 | 14,021 | $816M | $58,183 | $36.4M | — | $112K |
| 2014 | 13,881 | $800M | $57,629 | $35.3M | — | $5,000 |
| 2013 | 13,721 | $754M | $54,917 | $34.4M | — | $4,000 |
| 2012 | 13,326 | $643M | $48,252 | $31.5M | — | $3,000 |
| 2011 | 13,065 | $574M | $43,906 | $30.3M | — | $1,000 |
| 2010 | 12,863 | $562M | $43,686 | $28.7M | — | $0 |
| 2009 | 12,429 | $506M | $40,690 | $26.7M | — | $0 |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$1,316,563,126
- Employer contributions$43,586,585
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions$2,333,684
- Total contributions$45,920,269
- Total income, including investment results$221,124,965
- Benefits paid$88,462,034
- Administrative expenses$0
- Total expenses$88,462,034
- Net income$132,662,931
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$1,449,226,057
Participants
- Active participants4,055
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2,130
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits7,253
- Participants with account balances13,586
- Total participants, end of year13,586
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Thornton, LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $27,844 | $0 |
| Capfinancial Partners | Investment advisory (plan) | $22,360 | $0 |
| Coastal Pension Services | Contract Administrator | $6,100 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$1.15B · 79.0%
- Insurance company general account$274M · 18.9%
- Pooled separate accounts$29.8M · 2.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmGrant Thornton, LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $5,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2CMoney purchase (other than target benefit) plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2KCode section 401(m) arrangement
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 611000: Educational Services (including schools, colleges, & universities).
Other plans of The George Washington University
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| The George Washington University Supplemental Retirement Plan | 15,310 | $1.65B |
Similar plans in Virginia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The George Washington University Supplemental Retirement Plan | The George Washington University | 15,310 | $1.65B | $107,718 |
| Section 403(b) Defined Contribution Plan for Tax-Exempt Colleges and Universities in Virginia | The Governing Committee of the Section 403(b) Defined Contribution | 12,255 | $1.28B | $104,754 |
| Stride, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Stride, Inc. | 10,355 | $258M | $24,888 |
| Strategic Education, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Strategic Education, Inc. | 5,973 | $417M | $69,731 |
| The Savings Plan for Graham Holdings Company | Graham Holdings Company | 5,068 | $537M | $105,982 |
| Imagine Schools, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings | Imagine Schools, Inc. | 4,588 | $111M | $24,166 |
Defined contribution plans in educational services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is The George Washington University Retirement Plan for Faculty and Staff?
13,586 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 4,055 were active employees, with net assets of $1,449,226,057. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 5,000 to 24,999 participants band, which held 2,605 plans in plan year 2024.
What does The George Washington University contribute per participant?
The filing reports $43,586,585 in employer contributions for the year, which is $10,749 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,424 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $56,304 in compensation to service provider organisations, $4.14 per participant or 0.00% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $53.38 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $0. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is The George Washington University. Recordkeeping or administration: Coastal Pension Services. Investment advisory or management: Capfinancial Partners. The financial statements were audited by Grant Thornton, LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 6 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 53-0196584, plan 001, received 6 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.