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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
+ ?) N$ N3 k# [" ~my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment 3 w+ ]3 |6 m" e0 x, ~& Q5 R4 o
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
% O4 f9 k, ], E( D# d680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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4 p5 h) V4 I% x7 ]$ iis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for
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the current price look at this link
$ B% V" p. o1 J' D8 ?http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% ! m6 f, x) R k. A! j7 c
increase in housing cost!9 G2 [$ `1 [* Y: y
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying 5 h0 {2 R1 `) }9 z- X0 T9 }" B
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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( l* M9 _& V9 a6 I0 P, z5 D9 lOther costs of leaving have also increased and the university
! u4 d' [3 T/ Q2 j2 S1 o$ @3 Xincreases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international ' h. c! g- R. H/ Z
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, ; h# a4 Z& e3 K8 S
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers
7 S$ \0 ^ z% y- o8 g! `# S: A* K( _and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
) @( N! x+ s: j8 b. easked to look for a residence on open market.
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has
8 Q. s; w5 y q+ [" ^; R- oincreased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
1 h0 _9 P; n2 fexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our % W0 d( C. }, _4 Q! ~
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
$ r! w4 Y# D% R=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
: c' |5 p) T6 j8 o& w- Ltuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
5 a+ Z/ P/ `/ @& }9 n( D1 E# simagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
& z: ?5 r$ n" r+ [getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
" p _9 p$ D4 n7 S6 ^us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
* N5 t; T( N; M% h7 s" h [admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
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* r# T! z+ M! A0 M; xAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
+ X) k" ?8 |: p0 M5 S8 j' zAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
0 o9 w. b1 B/ q* B B# {from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate ' g) r4 \7 b8 G6 q
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.& |3 o! Y I* L! s* M5 U
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention 3 n5 c1 j6 \6 h1 o2 ?! ?& k
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and @2 j( n5 _ g, Q# N
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take
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% v7 u; N' K/ L4 q5 M+ o2 F! Q9 Linitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
( S3 g! o8 S/ b' _) p) Zgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?4 p4 O8 Q5 C' f
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.+ s- E; @1 j* P% s; S/ x0 R
Thank you all
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