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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and 1 D. k- k9 {- @1 @: ^2 h; q5 T6 e
my friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment * W0 X C# G+ t5 C- u
in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
+ D4 e- r( O2 `. I2 m680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
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3 c" N( m1 a3 t5 P" g# J* X- w$ \; Mis more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for
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! W% v% P4 ~% L( I0 U' Ethe current price look at this link 6 c Z! z2 @) T; ]2 }6 R
http://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 8 L- R7 b' D/ q8 O
increase in housing cost!* G' a+ O' _+ h. f* ?' ]& T
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying
( @/ p7 k2 |" _& J7 h5 A4 T600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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0 u4 L( d% a3 M2 ^8 j; `& dOther costs of leaving have also increased and the university ' g, h% g9 b" ]6 a8 V
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international
4 ]% y+ e r5 a; `. @& F" Ldifferential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, 6 @ C' R! ?* k8 X
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers $ A, S/ Y! K; G1 }: L$ j" |6 k
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
5 m4 |: r6 h# w# C% g0 w( Q6 Y. L3 Xasked to look for a residence on open market.
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2 Q" \6 Z9 v% Y# b9 GWhile the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has . O& c9 Z4 b3 @
increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid , h1 W! B% s+ W4 _' H" S: X
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our ! \% L5 Y! b2 [7 r/ w8 k
admission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
3 e' k8 B4 p0 m=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after ! {$ c2 F% P2 g6 E/ Q5 p0 j% \
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just
% M0 j6 w) Q, Mimagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am % t( i- N+ c4 y. Z8 M5 g
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
" M3 r! L# n7 i. m+ eus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was ~. F- e5 U0 [: I* r! K1 t
admitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs.
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Also have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of . c4 Z$ k( G8 ?& }. L+ v* J. F/ K
Alberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants 3 I& s5 o( p8 A# _
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate
1 Y7 V" r9 m7 d$ F; Q. }5 Jstudents are the main pillars of research work at the university.
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) v" \' W( n* B3 M1 L% C5 A2 @* XMy objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention " S2 d/ U. J: K
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and
7 k n7 i! @3 R. y4 Y5 F2 Nespecially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take/ L# S6 M$ p" Q8 s @
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initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for " l1 t8 G* ^8 r! y2 w% v
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.9 k" ?) x, a! x* ~ l
Thank you all
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