Social security coverage continues

From 1937 to 1965, I worked in several jobs covered by social security. For 10 of those years, I was a university professor. I am still a professor (at a different university) but not covered by social security. Will it be possible for me to claim social security in a few years when I will be 65 -- even though I continued to work and am not now covered by the system? J. V.

You will probably be able to claim at least partial benefits, depending on a number of things. These include the number of quarter-years you worked in social security-covered jobs and whether you met the minimum salary requirements for making full contributions to the program. In the early days of social security, the minimum monthly salary was $50; now it is $340.

If you are interested in knowing how much you've contributed to the fund and how much your benefits will be when you retire, you should make a ''request for social security statement of earnings.'' Send your name (including a different one, like a maiden name, that may have been used on a social security card), address, social security number, birth date, and signature to Social Security Administration, PO Box 57, Baltimore, Md. 21203.

If you would like a financial question considered for publication in this column, please send it to Moneywise, The Christian Science Monitor, One Norway Street, Boston, Mass. 02115. No personal replies can be given by mail or phone. References to investments are not an endorsement or recommendation by this newspaper.