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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and 8 n) k5 k, B& p$ b' a8 ?
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment ; Z% R0 M8 i `
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for @9 x6 f" f8 [6 f& }
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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5 j; N. f; K' Vis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for& x7 ]) o# D2 _: c0 k: l( @
% A9 j8 ?# D* ` k2 P" F+ [the current price look at this link ) j+ b4 N2 a3 H
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 1 Q9 I4 ` [+ S# n) Z1 h
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
5 B/ T1 L+ `; a) y% u Z% z* O600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university 4 v+ V6 W% K& I% i" n& U' [
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international 2 _5 F# f$ j0 a |
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, * M6 e5 P6 b: I' h/ m6 t. t; ?6 b
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers ; i! e; G' Q) S/ v7 P, r; c
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
( e- ~# w# K) o+ p6 j5 s( ^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 + d% g1 K& [% y
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
+ o: V. |; j: U% v7 w/ w5 s1 Kexactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
6 w2 G0 E, |, l5 m( H5 uadmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
8 _8 Q( E- n% U8 \" _; t& h=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 2 @) Q0 A; `2 f& e# A# s) d, A' p% ]
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
9 {& S5 d ~- @: Oimagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
6 A. `7 p" y# h: Igetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of N ^$ F2 R; f7 L: R4 R8 l
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
. z Q E- o/ R1 _admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs., |9 l2 r0 p* _1 Z" U
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
! L( ^9 S/ P4 n0 \! ^Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants 2 `( K, F3 x" R+ z6 r" }
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate * W" ^: Q, }8 V9 a& y5 L/ S* o" B
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
+ d/ ?; m/ O) y& W4 c3 gis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and % w" p& \" @4 J' I4 w C
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take* M5 W) q0 c5 U* ]; [) |7 S( F( [
6 t1 C; ?% F' D6 ?0 e+ w: hinitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for * G( o; `! g. }9 C
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?9 b7 ^5 Y! E+ u" H- E" V
' `; @* l0 R# @4 r$ T4 z' ~Please come with your experiences and ideas.; R" m8 u* w( D1 X7 e
Thank you all: x1 K1 B) ^( X6 k
Ali |
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