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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
2 K" E+ q( r1 B) `2 `( Emy friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
8 H- k d4 v8 `6 L) L6 gin one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for , z3 Q0 j; P5 _0 @
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment1 N$ T0 o: |3 A1 S* j3 t
/ a# z7 [2 {2 ?- z: Uis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for! I4 ?: x, V6 I6 O( B, d3 ^2 ^, W$ k5 j
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the current price look at this link 5 h6 x* ?: |" i& F
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% p2 L X7 F: U: |2 }
increase in housing cost!
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' ?# H4 s) R! u! }* K: `While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I鎶� paying
% q8 k, f! @1 M$ V. P9 j, p$ @& f+ p, o600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.% g3 s+ Q6 x/ ^$ j1 T v
Y) v- @; S8 G: [
Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university
' r* N$ m1 Y6 h7 @" Zincreases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
! O5 J$ o6 Y' Gdifferential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, + q+ ^( ?' L/ {- J4 \
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers Q& W" K+ h$ s1 }8 I0 m
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
& Q/ |1 Z3 \) i0 ]$ e- \$ Basked to look for a residence on open market.
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has 9 ~, Q9 }5 `0 c) d
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid
( X* V. F+ x: F/ B& P' k4 ]exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
% |" N1 e) o8 {! L3 c- |admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
% y. T5 @: {" c8 d& n=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
5 T7 u& M2 G) P# Q+ ?( Ltuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
) @& U. L i- Iimagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am
+ s, h+ O1 d4 c0 t3 o' M& Agetting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
8 S6 s/ r) [, w8 F6 \8 ^, uus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
# \, m: N' C7 ?admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
( m( r' N* g; H5 L/ {* H0 k5 {: F
. [8 B% O& H1 \0 ?- JAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
4 n+ D4 T/ s! L3 e$ RAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
% N8 A0 M8 q* Dfrom different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate / W9 m7 o1 R7 ~9 B2 x
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.% I* {' J0 a$ H$ ^1 }. B
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention ) j1 c `" D% \+ U$ H u1 G/ W
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and ' L/ o4 P1 T: g0 @8 U4 U1 r
especially international students. Isn鎶� it time for the GSA to take: w! C Z3 r- v% }* Y
+ ~4 T" A. Q5 V* K0 t' S
initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
. j7 H" |, p1 z0 @8 I( g, |' M* }graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs? k C0 W- |, q
' s& a$ o Q5 a' o0 FPlease come with your experiences and ideas.
6 F% G$ q% G* I9 e+ s" P: MThank you all
+ D% B% m$ m' k/ b# w. [Ali |
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发表于 2007-8-10 21:16
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