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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and 4 O8 F: l+ b5 `$ p8 j3 j" m7 Q
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment % F8 D5 D1 F1 x8 e5 e3 N4 R Z
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
. q4 x! a; L* Z% X: m# j% t680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment# _, T- A, n+ c8 f
) g- \! u& i# k5 Z Qis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for0 \: F! G- D u( C' s$ K, O1 ^
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the current price look at this link
B1 o9 g( w+ phttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100%
$ `" G7 S6 \$ aincrease in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
- b! Q( C- J- ]8 N, ~ v" b! Q/ X600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university
/ X( y# [% ?* c b3 O7 aincreases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
A, J! S0 {2 ?, {5 }7 b3 @! idifferential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this,
+ a- Z8 T, f8 @4 w5 vthe fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers 5 b0 k+ g1 x( v9 |
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were F5 E# t+ o: D
asked to look for a residence on open market.' [3 F% v" I& J# j; R2 W6 n/ u
B2 d9 {" c. d: X( S9 {) \4 kWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has 6 `' H& L8 N" t$ j
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid & x7 C* m7 q. h) X$ \
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our , \' p3 }- d% p3 ^; z$ l8 r
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students ) t/ x; a8 {4 r% B4 t9 b
=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 8 {. ~, ? ?( P% ?$ t7 [* r
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
: u& ? u4 x! U; D* o }9 zimagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am 2 W, `2 v9 k7 d* C" p( y: T* y
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
" V/ D8 Q' _4 `7 A- Jus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
' Y4 B9 U" M( fadmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.- j9 M! {. D, P( `1 J9 @% r
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of 1 l+ o$ [$ g/ I
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants & d; h( o/ W+ i, F$ Y5 y
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
$ Z9 ~! u' w5 Q$ w4 Qstudents are the main pillars of research work at the university.7 r* Y9 h- Q0 V, d- L& B- @
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention 2 m: M! g+ e& |5 ~
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
. w1 z7 q% |4 ~, oespecially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take4 t1 J: s: z0 x# } M2 ?6 [
7 u4 K& q, @+ j6 U3 y8 cinitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
5 m! K' ?+ G5 a+ Wgraduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.: w: I# |/ v# ^) x
Thank you all. T" z# `- X) i: p+ ]% {0 ~' L
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