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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
& u6 N, X5 t0 e" z3 s9 r7 {8 {my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment ) }' n6 e. b: `, W
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
. s; G6 F4 a& h0 K& ~680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment: h3 a5 w; M; i( y
- j5 d. a" f0 ^+ \is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for* I/ S( o' S! x# b, j% Z$ d
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the current price look at this link 4 y8 m% u2 o5 {4 j4 R9 K( H6 i! g- {
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% / Z- v* L( Q H7 h
increase in housing cost!$ F) n4 h3 s# W5 y( s) l" J) Z
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
$ a' _1 u# B0 t600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.) y, v5 k7 K9 P, }
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university ( ]- Q0 g7 e2 |, A: B
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international , I- N7 n3 K5 h# Y: ]- T
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, 1 t. A) f+ y6 m
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers
/ Q* W# o1 Y( ?9 d) K, _and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were . k& F* l" i$ c4 n
asked to look for a residence on open market.2 K, f! ] g: Y/ n
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has 3 L# O2 T& U# p5 d6 C* v
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
; Q3 [ |% M. F$ ]exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
9 Z0 H9 b: ]; W. t( C2 i, \9 ?admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students # `0 F5 t7 b' @* ?$ Q O
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
: F- X% u3 e) J9 vtuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
" m- |- p, Z8 T# n- I* Eimagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
1 P8 |3 a6 x; a0 [: l3 `0 xgetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of 5 W: l; Q! [- p8 N7 j {2 |: S
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
0 ?+ i( O1 H1 W$ [* Z9 D# d, Badmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of . o7 |, L# @4 E5 Q
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants 2 `+ v) h# _& T( M
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate % I0 w* b. f3 o/ t6 {
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.0 _. Y) ~6 O3 Z! r4 d9 ^/ ~4 v
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention ( D& P; z: Y. m }
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and / O6 n' c& {7 s6 m: J( X$ a6 a$ w7 `3 Z
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take- A" r8 u) D2 c- W0 i) q" ^5 G# J
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initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for 6 R5 X! b" _9 L& R
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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5 s# J' `$ W% C0 |2 _& i* ~Please come with your experiences and ideas.
. B5 B T1 Y4 a, R5 t7 [! j% \0 |" r8 TThank you all
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