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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and % U z7 E& [0 L [% i5 q
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment : w2 T x$ g$ s* C0 S% r- l" J
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
# O' n2 n7 m. }8 v. j& w4 y680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment! }7 `" M5 N% S6 l' _5 r
* ^# G2 _/ P- x- q! D" Lis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for: g; |( Q- ?: K x1 S, n
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the current price look at this link & I% i# b: k1 U7 b" g3 m1 i
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% % `* J+ j! h0 g/ C# v
increase in housing cost!
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& J) U6 ^8 w o& a' w5 GWhile I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
3 i8 ^5 h+ N" R F8 ]600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.. t: R: @; K9 f& ?! q' f% e
/ I. O% G7 R- w$ h3 k5 WOther costs of leaving have also increased and the university
& j- H# v' O" S# iincreases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international 5 S" [2 U# R. k( }
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, `2 {( j$ y& X3 M
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers % r$ Z* G1 t) l: r0 N
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
B% D' Y" B* F$ H8 N% xasked to look for a residence on open market.! ]1 k ]. c' p" r
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has
4 s( ~( _4 p, t5 t0 Qincreased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid ; `: G2 a0 d& S& n2 P, E
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our + g# S. v$ ^6 e J+ [9 \% t& `+ ^
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
' K. I. c2 I) H; g( |4 |=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after ( b8 a; z; G! G% `0 K; e
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
3 T' t# U& [ \/ Q8 F/ [2 yimagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am 3 M- V' p! L1 Y" I' O" J
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of 3 {5 ~/ D b8 z/ J5 m
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
, A& o8 p9 {2 U: @. }0 xadmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.% X4 A5 F& a7 k4 r& ]
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
, v. j" x# t* X& AAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants % {# Y. _/ n5 H% L
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
, B" A& c6 s4 Q3 ]: X# j! H6 Hstudents are the main pillars of research work at the university.
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7 [7 y. q4 x* q- f) ]9 R# mMy objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
2 {1 o9 S( u" k# @& Y, \is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
* Z! R7 E+ x2 N6 xespecially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take- P A' F+ P" l! h6 t6 F v: b( T
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initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for 6 v* E% Y4 b( ^8 i, |" ^6 C8 ?! k& R
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.0 f6 a! w: E0 b. m
Thank you all
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