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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
( w+ W6 `8 A) k: _, E9 q+ {my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
6 o" |* e: y) lin one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
6 F$ o1 ~2 W8 y5 c [- l c680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment+ d( k- D' U" F1 e7 H S
4 x& c$ Q P0 v5 [$ B4 a) nis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for/ h; A# X; O; _
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the current price look at this link
2 G: ]0 p* Z: T3 M8 @, `1 S" Chttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% ; |9 b' Y6 ?3 c0 ^9 D8 W
increase in housing cost!
2 N% o- f0 y; ]( l; {# Q4 G; ]" O4 W8 ] p+ s* K
While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying # N. Z3 g0 O& F1 i
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.- e; x8 V# |# A6 ]
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university
6 v+ ^/ G6 _4 a4 p$ _* }increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
; m4 w4 ?; X$ D/ c: w) Xdifferential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, ! O* M: D4 E/ ~
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers
+ o6 F- b9 m; L" z. Gand most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were * u" R) u7 k' g x: v8 ]/ I
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 2 d+ E1 ^% J; y5 {3 M5 D t# Y
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid e: T( u$ a* H3 N* a( n8 e
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our " z) _; ^( O+ ~! s: V
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
6 I8 H' x( v: @2 c=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after
, ~" w, Q' F9 g9 v8 htuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just 5 v3 s' i' U, }1 k: x$ K
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am $ R, x4 T/ v* i- s- l
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of 9 Q0 Y& a0 G/ G, B3 h1 ~
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was $ D5 r1 e' h! @/ W
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.5 o7 N0 m' c: v- P
9 w# ~4 c" B% O! z+ |& ^( LAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of 1 S2 M2 l f4 Q1 b
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants
* M6 f/ e/ K. \/ Ifrom different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
. c7 C/ B/ l% w" Xstudents are the main pillars of research work at the university.( f" |# a1 e) Y7 e
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
8 }; j" E+ X6 Kis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and & b( V$ `6 P2 K# _
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take, {$ t7 z/ z1 b) V: A) r5 V
9 _ U) w0 u( I( S* E; w; Zinitiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for ; {# T! n+ q5 B R9 O$ Q
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?. m9 A/ ^6 T( U! M0 y/ r7 {
$ h/ f! A- U' ~ e# ^Please come with your experiences and ideas.; _0 b% V! y! o% r
Thank you all$ ?) r$ u/ ]; L Y+ D" P/ U- V: ]
Ali |
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