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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and ) `& Y# ^, u: g X3 ?. I
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
! x. t6 C" d5 c8 ~% I1 y, Nin one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
8 u$ o/ b6 g8 C V680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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{" k1 |, |; s% `- i" p) I. J$ u% |is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for* C/ H# c* G( U4 j
* F2 u5 I% G/ kthe current price look at this link ) \# ]* i1 T' I" [! Q3 L
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 4 b/ E! E: K9 `7 n* Z1 w
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying 8 k- _5 Q$ B" W; A# I- B
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.* ]- O( c% H$ d# e6 y5 n9 L* ?! \
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university 1 b F9 _) I* p u$ n
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
8 c3 U# e' h4 ?9 Ldifferential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this,
1 `: {* i) C. i/ [$ @& @the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers 0 g$ G, t0 n& _1 ?
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were ' n# r! v& ]: ~0 ?- |8 ~
asked to look for a residence on open market.0 h+ f# i3 q& j8 z$ L' O, [
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has ' G6 _5 w/ b# v( {
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
4 Q3 b1 p$ p# jexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
* F8 f8 e" M- Dadmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students ( }. [' x# [( b# l' F9 J/ K( \- |
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 9 e" j7 C9 x5 i+ P
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
4 R& |: r7 C3 [2 D+ |imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am - G, M0 h. _7 D, o
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of 8 I+ j3 Z& G9 l
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
8 _3 Q( B$ V( v$ N7 S- x+ xadmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
( N( ]" \7 ?' JAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
* W5 W n, ~5 D; |2 [from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate 6 P0 @) ?: U4 c5 b, L3 e0 k
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.& t. @; c h! H. @8 q) U
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention 8 r( _1 g) s5 J' A5 Q2 S
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and 7 N. |8 ?8 Y; `# E: u) x7 m# i$ r7 }
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take
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initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
8 w( e4 Y4 e. ~graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?0 _7 B4 a; g/ F+ @7 U- a( I
s5 M% E$ B7 M' RPlease come with your experiences and ideas.2 |( v2 A7 P( G
Thank you all
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