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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and ' C+ _/ ]" G$ f$ T% D. q: k
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment 6 @* M. n6 R! z$ E
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
/ q4 Q5 m- B' t- g# c680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment0 v/ T Q" I# w
! b2 [! L) @& X3 c% R% Pis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for3 W: Y! x* f- y& x' F% P- [
& H9 u! x' i; [3 d8 _the current price look at this link , p8 ]0 D9 c6 `/ D6 f& ]$ e
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100%
1 E9 [1 V( K" E4 b: ~# Vincrease in housing cost!$ L( T3 `3 f: J5 q: X' F
3 `) A' ~! [6 ?While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
, j+ c9 v' b3 h600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month., ?* A4 G0 B' h% S
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university 5 d V# @; T3 w" C$ P3 x! ~
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international ! J" I6 ]3 |7 m w) d
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, ! ?8 s$ C; F# D$ L8 Z: W/ @
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers 7 e* J6 n0 H; w! u5 y5 c# o% S
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
, t# |' x" e: F" b' H; V; jasked to look for a residence on open market.) V4 v! F# R" k' Y6 y# \
: L2 ^9 s. Z Y6 y' \/ pWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has
/ N+ M+ c& h9 H8 c7 Q+ Wincreased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid 0 n4 i2 z N8 M% I- S- S
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our 2 T/ C& G' _6 J' y/ G# a3 g
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
. \- i% J$ Q% Y% R$ l- v# Q0 {=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
+ c* |8 Q1 q8 {; ?1 [tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just 2 k' @* y6 E# i7 C6 \
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
* a$ k. j( E! W2 j- ggetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of ' M7 m6 c8 g) o2 d8 K& W
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was ! K" b7 l% j1 Y1 `' X6 J
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.* ~9 t# Y' a3 z
" N3 _. {/ `& A- i5 c# MAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
" Q' m; y( P7 e' h5 i0 EAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
& e3 `/ P7 g5 g: U8 S# |from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate 7 w& a+ P! N1 u" [- v! D
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.
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( C: I" f" v9 l" _2 M) H+ OMy objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention # j; i/ f& T0 m7 D3 G
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and m- Q. Q! d2 d! [# D
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take
: J+ |+ V$ [2 `( W- ~; ~8 B8 e6 c / D: P7 x' h! s, B
initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
+ }! |4 Q$ O+ e% N ~* h! @graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?6 E: `8 @+ \# N, }
2 g. j; j' N+ j0 yPlease come with your experiences and ideas./ L) r9 ]& E. \( i7 E
Thank you all
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