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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
2 U- } f* |& N" M2 `' jmy friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
* ]/ q; ] c3 N Iin one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for ) I3 J; K- d6 V0 H9 s9 K6 I' c% Q
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, P2 \; I% ~5 _3 S4 Q
& [7 T; g t( A3 Othe current price look at this link ) D" \* F: J, y4 Z% d6 K! R: w
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% . N6 t' V9 b# R/ a6 l, L
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying . S4 n& h# O( O
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.# h- c4 E4 [% @4 ~/ w
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university ; Q+ J# M2 G2 A1 }$ Q1 R
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international & B! v$ p% }+ s3 y0 j
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, " [. u- k1 Q, Z: t
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers ( V* g- W7 D+ D! ^3 ?
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were ( @6 s* O# m- `0 ^# A* T- f$ x
asked to look for a residence on open market.
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has - {# A, `0 B3 m# T- {+ _
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
7 x; S. M" z% F, A# e7 jexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our ( R9 g4 E/ G* |8 F. Z
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students 2 i* A% d4 l% n) M9 b0 x5 x u3 V7 I
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 6 A, `9 @& V8 e9 l
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just 0 q) O: W/ r0 ]! c& k' j. J9 o
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
+ ^ Y+ `% p; X2 U/ i6 [" Ygetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
7 ? x) P# @& z# t" gus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was 0 g4 ]% N9 e+ K" ~: A( _
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
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8 L& |( Q7 O7 lAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
. _, G/ V- T2 ]9 l& _$ GAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
& R. v; f1 R; X( j: T; zfrom different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate ; t3 {" ~- H( r2 C
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.
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9 U! ]) O) M4 D3 d! LMy objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention / |# \: R% S( a# F) U
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
0 p( f- E s$ V* kespecially 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
S$ `$ ]9 L- J5 @0 S- \graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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+ @: O: o8 w: p; p0 _9 a: o& [. a2 FPlease come with your experiences and ideas.; H# X5 O' Q$ Q3 j
Thank you all% N1 s, D5 }- @7 N; G' E( f
Ali |
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