(a) Under such rules and regulations as the board of trustees shall adopt, each member who (1) was a teacher at any time during the calendar year 1943, or (2) has taught for at least two years between January 1, 1940, and January 1, 1943, or at least two years from January 1, 1945, to January 1, 1948, or (3) has taught at least one year between January 1, 1945, and January 1, 1948, and has 15 years of service previous to January 1, 1948, shall file a detailed statement of all services rendered by him as a teacher prior to January 1, 1945, for which he claims credit. If any person who would otherwise have qualified under this subsection is on leave in the armed forces of the United States, he shall have until six months after termination of his military service to file a statement of such services.

(b) Upon verification of such statement of service, the board of trustees shall issue to each such member a prior service certificate certifying to the service prior to January 1, 1945, with which he is credited on the basis of his statement of service and the amount of his prior service accumulations. So long as membership continues, a prior service certificate shall be final and conclusive evidence of such service for retirement purposes, provided that a member may request the board of trustees to modify or correct his prior service certificate within one year of the date of issuance or any previous modification or correction. When membership ceases, such prior service certificate shall become void.

(c) Any member who is unable to qualify for prior service under subsection (a) of this Code section may qualify for prior service he has rendered in the public schools or University System of Georgia after he has been a contributing member for five years and upon compliance with other requirements of this chapter.

(d) Any teacher who previously elected not to become a member and signed a nonmembership card to that effect, but who desires to become a member, may receive credit for prior service upon making a contribution equal to 5 percent of all earnable compensation between January 1, 1945, and July 1, 1961, and 6 percent of all earnable compensation after July 1, 1961, plus accrued regular interest on such amounts compounded annually to the date on which the contribution is paid.