Each participant shall, by virtue of the payment of the participant contributions paid to the system, receive a vested interest in the refunds provided herein, and in consideration of such vested interest agrees to and authorizes the deductions from salary of all contributions required under this Article.
Payment of salary as prescribed by law, less the required participant contributions, shall, together with the vested rights in the refunds, be a full and complete discharge of all claims of payments for service rendered by a participant during the period covered by any such payment.
40 ILCS 5/2-149