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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
: X% f0 M. n: ~7 L! r- ?my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment " i( e$ k1 m% @6 Y. j
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for " i7 v( I5 T8 f+ O% V/ N2 E
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 for3 g& }6 M8 X3 D2 H1 @+ x& ] X' p; L
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the current price look at this link
$ H7 }( e0 f/ m+ ? Rhttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 8 P+ _3 w# x8 O5 P, g* A( r' W
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
' { p' r( P, G3 ~, R7 n600CAD/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, C7 r( _3 I7 a& Z$ n5 o
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
7 G4 [" \: c0 i; u) f) g( O( Z* }differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, % [$ z. e& R1 B2 y5 g
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers ! ^2 F* t9 b7 {
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
, O5 x6 l. M! p2 t/ K7 Xasked to look for a residence on open market.+ h {2 r5 g3 s) h7 {
; ]$ \' Q& a& A9 B; l* K9 D* kWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has % N; {* J. T/ n" b
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid $ _- h5 x# C9 c
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our & K! \4 [3 h5 L/ @& ~
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students $ o8 r) c8 o7 v e) l3 X4 e9 k$ J/ w# M
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after ) s- R% M9 b: w1 _7 F
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
+ [1 P2 ]8 D8 A6 H3 [3 himagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am ( U, h3 Z2 C" s$ a2 d# g/ ]$ J1 Z2 {& P
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
+ Z [3 j) R1 _ e; aus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was 4 B, `7 ^5 d# `0 r+ q; [
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
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& O: l4 ]7 a1 A1 q, \) J0 ~; [Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
$ K z: Z; [, D* z% g4 Z* BAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
" [: l2 _: e% g6 R& \" T! f" lfrom different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate 5 W3 O! J" _' H% c
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.+ }! r3 `8 U7 ]% W U$ G+ r
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention + n, I( Z& b6 i" e
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and - T- v3 H8 p: \* \7 k+ t5 x
especially 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
: |1 x& L) W+ t1 P; w5 w# Pgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?$ a5 _3 H. K7 E9 X- h
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.8 Y; m0 j( M- G8 F; Q
Thank you all
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