A periodic pension distribution is not eligible for rollovers.
Disappointing but OK, It's just double hit don't mind paying the tax but using pension to pay college tuition and the added income makes us not eligible for tax credit. seems wrong but oh well (solutions/suggestions welcome) Thanks All.
It's a choice if your employer allows it. You can take a lump sum distribution of a pension plan and roll it to an IRA that you manage yourself, or choose a lifetime annuity to be paid in equal monthly, quarterly or yearly payments based on a life expectancy table. That can exceed the value of the retirement plan if you live long enough. On the other hand, if you roll into a IRA you might be able to make investments to equal or exceed the pension plan value.
You can't have it both ways by getting pension payments and then investing that in an IRA.