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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and / D+ i, @9 d( b5 \% |
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment ! |, c4 H1 n& |) s h" L" i
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for 9 x" I# e: a5 t1 X
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment Q0 O a1 v3 p6 x5 i3 h; \
$ n1 Z9 P* @/ K+ k# ^is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for! o9 }/ o; G4 ^0 D( T
0 ~( y- d$ X+ w& Y& |2 ?2 v5 v0 nthe current price look at this link
, h& k8 F \+ j* \! `http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100%
% N# ^+ t W, @ r9 t$ c( W$ w0 Pincrease in housing cost!
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+ i8 x* [1 w" D8 f3 b) Y+ SWhile I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying . I/ p2 b# w" C) h# ^7 p
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.) A6 x- V% U5 R. @$ ` v1 Y: E* {
$ r) |+ h9 c' C5 y" G5 mOther costs of leaving have also increased and the university
/ S% j# @" H# g) \( [increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international 6 g8 P! }/ {; g! S" [) X. t- K
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, 1 B0 @0 ^$ J" J# ?
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers * B% v2 A% Y. k+ Y) V0 t
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were H( F4 N9 E8 j7 E
asked to look for a residence on open market.1 Q% ?& e( \ Z5 }2 ~
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has
$ B q- q4 x2 W) a6 K# uincreased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
; x9 {8 G4 m% \& Sexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
- ~' p+ L1 q8 v, cadmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
# K5 _/ o. f1 x" i0 E=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
& F+ L+ r* \0 I$ R* ]tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
- E$ e& F% T7 n$ ~4 S4 X* }imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
. K1 G, ]9 c0 ~ ggetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of 9 Z/ O# s. H( P$ k0 G. K
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was / i9 _. V h% Z8 d- g
admitted 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
4 y+ G7 d0 Y. U1 wAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
% w+ }) G/ P) F6 a9 t8 D3 Dfrom different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate " r/ r2 Z% E( R! k& o0 E
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.
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3 m' Z$ @ @7 R* v; i8 P5 ?My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention 7 N# Q3 s4 P! L% d3 ]$ R; s
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
1 ~! Z! V6 ]: V0 i2 ]; n! }4 xespecially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take
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/ ~9 `( g5 D# J/ D7 Jinitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for ! I8 E/ K7 ]6 e F9 a
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.+ z; W' }, H9 v: X
Thank you all
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