(a) No person who is an active and contributing member of or retired from the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama and as a student was previously employed in a full-time position by a public educational institution of higher learning in Alabama may claim and purchase credit for such service unless the provisions of this section are complied with, and in no event after June 30, 1989, provided further, that no service as a student employee may be purchased unless such employment consisted of at least 20 hours of service per week.

(b) Any person eligible to claim and purchase credit for service as a full-time student employee shall be awarded credit for such service under the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama provided he or she shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) Such person shall provide certification to the Teachers' Retirement System on or before October 1, 1988, of the time of service and salary for each period of claimed service. Such certification shall be made by the employing institution from official employment records, provided that where such records are not available, certification by the employing institution of such unavailability together with verification of such service and salary by two disinterested persons, not related to the claimant, with personal knowledge of the claimant's service shall be accepted as proof of such service, and

(2) Such person shall on or before June 30, 1989, pay to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama a sum equal to the total contributions which he or she would have made as a member during the period of claimed service together with eight percent compounded interest through the date of payment.