It only took two strained knees for first-year University student Tosha Brandt to fall below the University’s 13-credit minimum.

After her first week at school, Brandt learned she needed surgery. Forced to miss classes for doctors’ appointments and taking the Paratransit to get around, Brandt ended up dropping two classes, which brought her credit total to seven.

Brandt is one of many first-year and sophomore students affected by a University policy enacted in fall 2002 in response to lower-than-average graduation rates. The policy charges students for 13 credits no matter how many they are taking and also makes every credit after 13 free.

While this can be beneficial for students taking more than 13 credits, it can present problems for others who fall below the 13-credit minimum.

Students like Brandt with special circumstances can request a reduced credit load online to exempt them from paying for extra credits, which Brandt said was a simple process.

Graduating students and students who care for their children full time can also apply to take fewer than 13 credits without paying for a full load.

While working 15 or 20 hours per week is not enough to qualify for a policy exception alone, part-time jobs coupled with other commitments might make students eligible, according to an explanation on the University One Stop Web site.

Craig Swan, University provost and economics professor, said the policy aims to help students.

“The whole intent of the 13-credit policy is to help students’ success, and in particular to help their success through timely graduation,” Swan said.

He added the policy has succeeded in getting students to take higher credit loads.

The average credit load for first-year students this year is 15.5, while the average for first-year students in fall 2001 was 14.9.

This year’s sophomores are also taking more credits than they took last year, which is unusual because students usually take their heaviest loads their first year at college, Swan said.

For music education senior Betsy McCann, who is receiving 12 credits for student-teaching, the 13-credit minimum is worrisome. Although McCann was enrolled before fall 2002 and not affected by the credit minimum, she said she is concerned about what current first-year students will do when they are student-teaching.

Under the policy, they would either have to file special papers to get exemptions or take at least one extra credit. Since student-teaching requires the same hours as a full-time job, McCann said, even a small increase in student-teachers’ loads could be difficult.

McCann said the University’s School of Music also recommends student not take classes or hold other jobs while student-teaching.

Despite McCann’s concern, School of Music admissions coordinator Wayne Lu said he was confident the school would find a solution to the problem without making student-teaching worth more credit.

“At this point we’re unsure if they’ll have to petition or if it will be an automatic exemption,” Lu said.

Minnesota Student Association academics and services Chairman Scott LeBlanc said he would like to see the University offer one-day or weekend minicourses.

“It’s useful if you need that one-credit class and you don’t want to take a gym class,” LeBlanc said.

College of Biological Sciences student Tim Forgey said he sees some advantages to the policy.

“It’s good because when I did my undergrad degree I usually had 15 or 16 credits, and now it’s free tuition,” Forgey said.