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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and 7 z! O( @+ O! Y4 I( U. n/ k6 T
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment 1 r, U8 G! k$ e9 k. [
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for 6 F5 G% x. r @
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment* c) ^0 P8 D7 M* ?7 G) |
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is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for
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" U" o0 H1 Y/ l1 ~& |( S+ L! vthe current price look at this link
& ^5 b( I6 N( K2 j" C4 b; E3 V* x1 fhttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 3 Q3 s; ?) @+ Z3 Q* O
increase in housing cost!/ C$ p; z m# p) G
6 F" F3 ~+ Y) LWhile I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying % L; f; r) p) z0 y# ?* ?
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 : G6 P% E9 F* q' V
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
- Q9 ?+ \1 T5 f0 Q$ ^differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this,
* o) J( H+ n( ]6 lthe fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers & b' e7 p* Q' m
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were ) D9 {. G, F) b1 X6 z$ ?
asked to look for a residence on open market.+ h6 y! W& A% w1 v2 q/ F
4 G. D1 o, |5 J; n' |) b5 zWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has 4 m9 f4 l2 B2 c* i
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
2 A$ c3 s. B* p: Z, J3 Q" mexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our 7 |/ y. {4 ~1 `: ?, g* \
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students 9 _- d& T. I) x: U* D- N
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
, Z5 I5 z! O+ O+ U M( g& Atuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
: y; j3 i& a. w) k: @, Himagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
0 e; r0 Q T6 |# Ngetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
' }. M9 D# }& F# h8 Aus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was + a! }0 S7 m& I1 `+ ]* Y: L, s2 r: K
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.& Q2 l* C, R" d2 a& k0 r' `( y) c
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of - a; H3 ^: l6 y
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants , [" |" v5 N% P- E6 Z5 R+ Y
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
( B) W& u5 ^' Mstudents are the main pillars of research work at the university.* _& t! \6 P) v/ A8 c
# }7 P6 u7 Y7 M* D& H+ pMy objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
" T; l" {* r0 g, C& W* j8 Dis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and ' V( j" i) @9 Q$ ]: B8 `
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take6 c, b4 V8 K! i4 @
/ x2 E/ b% G1 |2 }0 F- Cinitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
# u! c- k7 s, j# B% M1 Kgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas., `* S/ i+ D: r8 k/ B. N
Thank you all0 V, N0 E0 l5 O8 e$ c
Ali |
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