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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and ( k t7 S* I: ]* L
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
$ G2 d6 [6 w W# W% O0 y- M. _in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
! c9 Y1 y; }- g1 u; r8 _680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment) w# |6 J/ y6 |( {8 b6 I
2 j2 A9 C( Q: \; y% x7 W3 j0 iis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for
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1 C4 U$ J5 w% Fthe current price look at this link ! i4 \3 U/ n H/ T% U
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 0 c9 u( q& q, z o" D! S
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
+ p. R" [, j) a$ q+ e# c! b m600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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6 d, J) j/ J' n5 BOther costs of leaving have also increased and the university w5 m# ~0 y0 U# v( u' [& Y
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
1 r& R7 R5 s! A" x' D, |differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, 0 C' m) g `" v& n8 w M
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers & r. p0 H- u! v" y' a
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were # \5 L. [" ~0 }" _% W t. }
asked to look for a residence on open market.
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# }% c/ p+ ?5 G, g) M: uWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has $ A/ Y4 J4 z7 D5 M, F
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
7 j! B. x5 t3 N# s. a7 A( Y; dexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
- }5 K6 @$ ]/ y5 @/ \. Uadmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
7 {0 s0 B& y( M+ d=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after % t8 P- |& x/ M n% L4 e
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just 4 ^ y- H6 ~% y0 t) h, {
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am X7 P& t/ v5 f
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
; l" {7 A8 W& l( P4 k; V: ius) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
) o& K" d/ T1 z# S7 |* Wadmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.0 c! s, p3 l D- \7 r
2 D: f H; B9 x- R+ c) bAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of ; ? H% z' _7 i7 a4 h, |! @
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
. z; M+ R4 |6 M- zfrom different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate ; K# q, O$ t! q7 ?
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.' }! Z# g) D7 W9 F$ t
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
* w! Q Z( r1 o! f# [- w9 iis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
0 e2 H4 N3 o( l3 d- Tespecially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take3 g4 Q) a2 h \% R$ J5 D
# t& n/ M# [" |initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
6 p# A2 P+ C: {! x u2 F% Fgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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% X/ ^5 ? W+ [" H+ x3 N5 r2 hPlease come with your experiences and ideas.- d& T( J. i2 g7 ~
Thank you all
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