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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and # p: @$ b2 T; z% b: ~
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment 2 u: v/ i3 i* m" y" f9 N2 A
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
[* W' w/ n5 v, K$ i7 k0 ]680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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( f. {# t' X- I6 j5 G* ~& Jis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for
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the current price look at this link % i% m* U, o% o# p
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% * R+ ^5 P3 } `7 H8 b- R. s! h5 N
increase in housing cost!
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- k$ v! H% P z9 R' V! m- FWhile I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
P7 ]+ R0 }* P6 }600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university
* [9 S8 `/ J) d# p1 f: |increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international 0 ~2 s3 G* i4 }* Z4 C
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, # X1 t0 W s3 u0 P: o; m
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers ' ?: T! C$ [; `" `
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were ! e3 E5 m5 f; k" ^+ b
asked to look for a residence on open market.
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) b$ \: J' A' s$ \* o8 MWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has & F* @" Q/ Q( @0 l
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
+ r0 c5 A8 C3 p/ Qexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our * b* @; J. V. {
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
( X! T: P: y: B=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
- }0 _: s9 T& ~+ Z' q, |: Q. ?tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just + K, I! v J" V* n% h: R2 e% t4 F
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
4 e2 D! G" X. l( Y3 d# Cgetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
: z' N' N2 ]9 s8 A( A% v% Mus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was & V Z+ X* K! I) T8 \3 H
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.! ~, S7 U& X* Z
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
$ |8 a$ f! }' C* v1 m( \- WAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants 9 v3 }- y+ B2 i& n& J# ?
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
: ?7 o; D; e5 P5 n) n7 l1 Gstudents are the main pillars of research work at the university.2 S! ^# [# ^6 Q# x8 S1 T) |
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention ; s2 N4 N' f6 ~( \& @5 k
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
, l. ^1 U$ r. R7 ]* k4 kespecially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take
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) R0 q6 `- }6 \& M& @initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
8 n: u3 r. y: o1 t0 G: Ugraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?' f- x) x! j+ D! h1 o3 V
- u" Y: {. a5 M- J$ uPlease come with your experiences and ideas.
9 ?7 s. U# Q" ?# S+ Q: Y8 I, ^Thank you all
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