Benefit Plans

We have various pension and other defined benefit and defined contribution plans, in which substantially all employees may participate. We also have non-qualified supplemental executive and Board retirement plans.

Components of net periodic benefit costs for the three and six months ended February 28, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:



	Qualified Pension Benefits						Non-Qualified Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2015			2014			2015		2014		2015			2014
Components of net periodic benefit costs for the three months ended February 28 are as follows:	(Dollars in thousands)
Service cost	$	9,058		$	7,802		$	225	$	248	$	474		$	476
Interest cost	7,002			8,240			352		486		415			502
Expected return on assets	(12,436		)	(11,082		)	—		—		—			—
Prior service cost (credit) amortization	409			398			57		57		(30		)	(30		)
Actuarial (gain) loss amortization	4,907			4,445			261		241		(106		)	(311		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	8,940		$	9,803		$	895	$	1,032	$	753		$	637
Components of net periodic benefit costs for the six months ended February 28 are as follows:
Service cost	$	18,116		$	15,269		$	450	$	427	$	946		$	958
Interest cost	14,016			14,938			704		822		830			1,021
Expected return on assets	(24,874		)	(23,816		)	—		—		—			—
Prior service cost (credit) amortization	816			797			114		114		(60		)	(60		)
Actuarial (gain) loss amortization	9,808			9,089			522		468		(211		)	(187		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	17,882		$	16,277		$	1,790	$	1,831	$	1,505		$	1,732

Employer Contributions

Total contributions to be made during fiscal 2015, including the NCRA plan, will depend primarily on market returns on the pension plan assets and minimum funding level requirements. During the six months ended February 28, 2015, CHS and NCRA made no contributions to the pension plans. At this time, we do not anticipate having to make a required contribution for our benefit plans in fiscal 2015, but we may make a voluntary contribution during our fourth quarter.