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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
2 u7 G% }2 V* x. [my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment , k/ a4 {! t/ L( i
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for K8 W. Q* Q/ J
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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5 f6 y0 l7 F4 ]7 t2 Pis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for
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% n% q- B! R* o% S. u( _3 i0 [the current price look at this link
' j# |: j- p! ^3 D, phttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100%
: V1 x! L9 i& H |" u. qincrease in housing cost!
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" e4 @; J6 \' g/ eWhile I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying 0 A# w8 l- T3 ^; [; X! I
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.( l# l: Q$ B& l6 o- y
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university 7 j, Q* g; @# [2 t) O: p1 a
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international * t0 k" B6 b: K6 ~" G
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, ! P6 X1 X5 V5 g* W' `* ~
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers % p& p; \& y; ?1 d1 J5 \
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were 9 @. A1 M7 s H; e' L
asked to look for a residence on open market.
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has % m. @" v. Y4 p, w
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid & l/ }% ~9 k, d# C9 A
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our 2 j! g( K8 l4 E5 f* ?6 a
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students + a( _8 f5 d5 l" l! h8 ]- E. |
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
% T9 R7 Z9 w5 c- \tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
! l, A! L' I! R: D1 i& Himagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
9 L+ ~! v q; e- [% r5 w. cgetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
9 ^' v p. R; V, r9 T pus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was ! e+ I* {0 Q! a2 h
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.4 e) W; K$ \* A1 ?3 H
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of ( L5 u6 G5 k! f* k
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants ; {0 b5 k. b$ V; k {5 D5 c L5 u
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate 4 h# z: u: v: k
students are the main pillars of research work at the university., O. h3 T' x' K$ k. [4 b( {8 k
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
7 K; f. e- V* Z# \. z8 C, H6 fis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and $ N7 f- _/ `2 N8 q/ T; G
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take+ W) e2 L' G6 |/ s
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initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
$ L, z$ z- E% x0 ~ M0 h; cgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.
' L! I6 ~" v1 bThank you all
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