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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
$ t: _- c$ P5 y5 T0 |9 O4 `my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
. s: h, @& l; z( T. q; @in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for 0 u# B7 B& q5 h2 z3 }& p( v7 [6 m
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for2 m+ F7 j" W; ^. H2 v
. \2 j4 ?) J6 q( nthe current price look at this link * b* ^3 t; }7 U. T# F( ~: Y" k/ k
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% ) b( x [# K3 B0 ?9 Q ]' H/ f
increase in housing cost!
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, ]0 d* N7 d; x% l6 u$ G2 E; W7 {While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
1 u8 F' a3 r p9 Q9 S$ d9 `/ M! C& m600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.- Z G) @: [, _7 o" {# X: v9 |
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university
" y5 v* D, a. }6 r! \increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
7 y) c! C: O* Y0 q; ?differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, " j! b- L$ x8 X d
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers
# u3 a( S- L& m& A! c, v0 K6 zand most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were ; ?, N! h m4 T$ ]/ F7 F. |+ |% T! Z
asked to look for a residence on open market.: U5 I" Q, W+ v+ U5 s' g' a
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has 3 }2 G; g6 H* v9 a6 k, T7 l( e0 E k
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid J; _) J9 j% M. q
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our $ ?, P% {. q* _
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students + L# K" }$ j7 ?6 J6 t+ i, i. i
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 3 G# ?+ m& W4 f8 Y7 p" w; W/ |
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just ' g/ Q6 G( _6 A/ ?7 @
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am 7 D7 E6 e1 o: b/ k- G. \; ~
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
9 [6 ^, f2 [! I$ W* _( u& V9 S* C2 kus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
3 D1 I3 E" \3 G) W/ w1 aadmitted 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 c- a, m6 z2 A" M- m4 p N5 ]
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants / o. _* `0 l) l9 c/ j
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
Z* m6 `5 ?! A$ I3 Y" ]students are the main pillars of research work at the university.
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
& K* r( j) @3 e# E9 k% `; P- Wis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and ) E8 v& Q& m% Z
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take
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4 E8 }7 k- a! F- uinitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
' l5 l$ q5 D) w% G1 Y* ?9 Dgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.6 w G, v' H5 s( z- ]( W; V2 f& k
Thank you all% f3 @2 v" [" L9 f
Ali |
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