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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and 4 E4 l7 ^$ X* Y1 ^; I* B; H4 Q% \ b
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment ' M4 q ?0 h# X2 c
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for 1 ], f8 D# `/ E! l+ p9 g# V
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment9 U3 \. q7 k; p, q
. D+ ]' P& G0 P5 f, z+ N; M: f7 Cis 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
# c* V" R; b' }: j8 o1 uhttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100%
# D- \" @1 M# L6 L. Uincrease in housing cost!8 w" f. l! v7 ]1 {. K; Y0 G
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
4 H8 Q# b& F. f2 R5 Q( ]* I: v5 I600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.' k6 p) G. i2 d6 r
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university / O6 d, \0 p! V
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international ' y* J8 A. x& B. B& W/ p) P9 G
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, 9 a, s$ y# G, _' l: w& C2 V
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers
@9 r0 |) {6 K; c( D; r# N8 eand most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were $ h1 a$ x6 ?6 z( O( u7 A& o
asked to look for a residence on open market.- Z0 A# t. R: d+ Q1 E# N" \: {4 h
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has
( f, T1 u$ Z% U; ~' f* zincreased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
" [* P8 F: p0 c; [exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our $ M' ]9 _# ^, {( T& i' |
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students : _- b6 E/ ~" W+ @/ B3 h7 |5 B
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
: }+ v6 z& M4 }5 j- |. A0 |tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
7 ?) v M& O. E& \5 |* Z9 ~9 N, simagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am - U# b* m) B! K4 C
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of ( `" Q6 R0 a9 T6 `6 Y7 w( T
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
2 v) D" O5 h3 W( \* 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
# t: Y9 G+ m4 ~3 f; RAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants . ]' s' a* ~1 T5 s& ? a6 O$ A5 s
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate / y( _+ p, L/ C" W' }! |
students are the main pillars of research work at the university." I! N) O1 `+ `) k
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention * {; _& c" E' m4 N
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and 6 l7 m* b2 R3 i, @% v, ` r
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take, q! _" l* C6 j, |5 ]2 |
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initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
, `8 O |' ~1 }9 P4 wgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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. B! Z7 U6 b1 P9 o8 X9 hPlease come with your experiences and ideas.
& H. D! o$ _* s: SThank you all
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