Uncommon Schools, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Uncommon Schools, Inc. 403(b) Plan
New York, NYEducational Services1,834 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,499Employer $ per active participant
$3,361Employee $ saved per active participant
0.27%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$98.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$50,660Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.0 / 5058th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.1 / 2544th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.4 / 1563th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score47 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (144 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 58th |
| Lower admin cost | 44th |
| Employee saving | 63th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($1,095,939 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,018 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Uncommon Schools put in about $1,499 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,225). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $2,749,088 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,164,926 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $405,071 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $247,233 |
| Contract administrator fees | $247,233 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,898,558 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $84.9M / $98.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,667 / 2,002 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,939 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Aafcpas, Inc |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $190,845 reported compensation |
| Fiducient Advisor LLC | $46,858 reported compensation |
| Advised Asset Group | $9,529 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260415151835NAL0011842019001, received 2026-04-15, EIN 31-1488698, plan #002, plan year 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.