Georgia › Educational services › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
South University Retirement Plan
Sponsored by South University Savannah, LLC, Savannah, GA
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.
South University Retirement Plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by South University Savannah, LLC of Savannah, Georgia. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 2,460 participants, 2,330 of them active, and net assets of $31.7M.
Net assets came to $12,888 per participant, well below the $50,295 median for defined contribution plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well below 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 $1.0M during the year, or $437 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,045; participants contributed $3.7M and $396K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $2.8M.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $186K: $75.81 per participant, below the same-size median of $82.08. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $186K. 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 $12.9M in 2019 to $31.7M in 2024 (up 146%), and participants from 2,268 to 2,460 (up 8%).
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 | $12,888 | $50,295 | $73,018 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $437 | $2,045 | $2,838 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $75.81 | $82.08 | $95.66 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.59% | 0.17% | 0.13% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $75.81 | $82.20 | $89.26 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (10,207 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 | 2,460 | $31.7M | $12,888 | $1.0M | $3.7M | $186K |
| 2023 | 2,516 | $25.9M | $10,291 | $885K | $3.2M | $141K |
| 2022 | 2,355 | $20.2M | $8,562 | $774K | $3.0M | $128K |
| 2021 | 2,174 | $21.9M | $10,081 | $291K | $3.1M | $126K |
| 2020 | 2,275 | $18.2M | $7,997 | — | $3.2M | $101K |
| 2019 | 2,268 | $12.9M | $5,685 | — | $1.4M | $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$25,892,900
- Employer contributions$1,017,788
- Participant contributions$3,657,639
- Rollovers and other contributions$396,041
- Total contributions$5,071,468
- Total income, including investment results$8,823,279
- Benefits paid$2,790,708
- Administrative expenses$186,494
- Total expenses$3,011,740
- Net income$5,811,539
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$31,704,439
Participants
- Active participants2,330
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits3
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits127
- Participants with account balances969
- Total participants, end of year2,460
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel Benefits Group, LLC | Recordkeeping and information management | $121,776 | $0 |
| The Fiduciary Group | Investment advisory (plan) | $53,809 | $0 |
| Fidelity Investments | Custodial (securities); Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $10,910 | $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.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Recordkeeping fees$121,776
- Investment advisory and management fees$53,808
- Trustee and custodial fees$6,540
- Other administrative expenses$4,370
- Total administrative expenses$186,494
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)$28.7M · 90.5%
- Common/collective trusts$1.9M · 6.0%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$589K · 1.9%
- Participant loans$478K · 1.5%
- Receivables$54K · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmSymphona LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- 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
2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3DPre-approved pension plan2EProfit-sharing 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).
Similar plans in Georgia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design Retirement Plan | Savannah College of Art and Design | 2,742 | $222M | $81,007 |
| Big Blue Marble 401(k) Retirement Plan | Big Blue Marble Academy, LLC | 2,174 | $3.2M | $1,475 |
| Mercer University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | Mercer University | 3,807 | $559M | $146,767 |
| Morehouse School of Medicine 403(b) Plan | Morehouse School of Medicine | 1,609 | $260M | $161,641 |
| The Independent School Group Retirement Plan (Misbo) | Mid-South Independent School Business Officers, Inc. | 5,204 | $395M | $75,861 |
| C2 Educational Systems 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | C2 Educational Systems, Inc. | 1,561 | $18.4M | $11,755 |
Defined contribution plans in educational services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is South University Retirement Plan?
2,460 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 2,330 were active employees, with net assets of $31,704,439. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 10,207 plans in plan year 2024.
What does South University Savannah, LLC contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,017,788 in employer contributions for the year, which is $437 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,045 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 $186,495 in compensation to service provider organisations, $75.81 per participant or 0.59% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $82.08 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $186,494. 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 South University Savannah, LLC. Recordkeeping or administration: Sentinel Benefits Group, LLC. Investment advisory or management: The Fiduciary Group. Trustee or custodian: Fidelity Investments. The financial statements were audited by Symphona 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 21 Aug 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 82-1659323, plan 001, received 21 Aug 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.