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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and 0 X, E: s: Z$ A y
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment % a% t+ K4 w) l8 N8 |
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
1 O. P5 X# Z# P* a' j; @# n9 z0 Y* R3 R680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment0 Y% x: \/ K/ N* p: B8 e& A' Y
; _/ M6 m; X8 u! dis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for6 m) W- \* D7 M( l0 Z
z6 ^5 O; ~+ c5 s- p) uthe current price look at this link : ^0 q7 Z% d2 V6 ~( h r
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100%
0 H. [! a6 {" `! ~increase in housing cost!
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, d; X% E1 p7 tWhile I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying % s; U! p# ]5 l- l* T
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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8 X" O# e. g; l1 N! Y6 a# `Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university & A" f# G! s u9 M5 u& ?. [
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
+ J; ?% q6 H, l. j7 k# ]3 K3 hdifferential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, 9 U4 T i2 q/ E& r" r
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers
2 ]2 C5 [/ v3 z( B9 Hand most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were 1 u2 R; o% |0 ?5 G4 A1 U1 _8 L" C
asked to look for a residence on open market.: K' E) k* h9 I. m4 x
% O! o3 S9 E) D" u; E% J, G8 |3 VWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has ) z4 J' E% o) V
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
! `( A5 `+ S; p6 n2 Eexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
. L9 V% t4 d# radmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
; N% B; M: k7 c% [& V7 w=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after ) e+ V# W3 R4 X5 }
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just 9 t+ ` @# ^* j! W8 X1 r
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
3 r! B' X2 n ~. X8 ` hgetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
$ V; _$ z. @! rus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
$ r2 _5 N2 |, {6 D9 H8 X& cadmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.7 ^# X7 T4 ~" @+ `; A0 i0 k. l
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
^$ S7 b" q! V& i P( N# [! s2 WAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants ! B9 o* A. g8 u y
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate 9 Q1 ^: [' Q2 _4 b8 b
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.: c2 r+ {" {) i/ f
8 P" s) C# G8 SMy objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention & A5 M! p7 N4 t+ E) A% w; e- o
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and ! W: {' O# y, Q, E( m
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take9 e# P- _/ y- N, K2 u$ G+ `; s& Y
1 B* ?/ V+ x# P: r3 T3 Ainitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for 1 O, ]% ~ ~2 h# B: _: F. ]6 K
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?3 U% c$ m# I( Q* v) o t
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.; _' ?" a7 Z9 R6 Y" m, }
Thank you all9 e6 T! m# T: G! j" T% N0 h# t
Ali |
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