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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
6 l2 O9 H% e: d) {# bmy friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
* I! V' T# A8 V/ p* ~in one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for
! U/ e/ ~) \2 x+ g" V7 \! _9 d680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment
, {" Y' o) x% }4 j( E5 Q* J8 d
; B& A; g8 a, u9 {; _is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for; N: k" J% I$ T! |$ l- H
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the current price look at this link
) w# _% x3 s. [) Q2 \0 \4 Khttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% * d9 z* J1 k1 B/ E8 b& x% d
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying & x# s9 Y9 o" H" L" f+ ^4 i; f
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.# T+ M/ w4 g% \ s9 }
: \7 v+ k3 I2 Q4 y3 N4 COther costs of leaving have also increased and the university
+ c; T: X0 U) A+ j% a! Rincreases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international % _, q: U1 i/ ~1 _7 d) d1 q8 R$ D
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this, w, l m" d) c u9 f
the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers . l8 D4 L/ Z, ?5 c* z% s5 u( l
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were # y2 v/ f) U3 u. D1 M3 b: @7 }. z
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
1 _$ `7 ?; @+ }8 d+ b; Eincreased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid 2 D" k5 m, S. |* i7 c, F
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
% i+ r" S- `; zadmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
+ n: l2 o% k% x=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 1 p# P Y' k+ W8 h( w0 \
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just $ ~& e2 e$ P8 j) ^% I1 g3 B1 [; q: W
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am : v& a5 _3 [3 L* V
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of + t7 |- G/ L0 J0 ^) M. h: v
us) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
6 M4 [: H! v2 m( \( Radmitted and has to incur at least 70% more in average living costs., I, `, }( k" t& N1 c5 n
6 L( K9 J3 `4 q* e6 U8 x$ mAlso have in mind that Alberta is a rich province and University of
2 ?- P4 u1 Z+ ? q7 L% X& ^* H- x5 AAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants 4 r6 Z) \/ L1 N9 R! X# d
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate : ?6 {1 W( i* m- S3 ? H
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.2 _8 U, y! m0 ]
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention
, M8 b; F: i0 t n# V3 Yis to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and , V5 z+ `7 t' w" ]8 B! A+ W
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 5 f+ D: ?- i& ~& H' L
graduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?$ R& j# o. |; J; o, _. c0 M
& F3 G& a& a wPlease come with your experiences and ideas.# L; C/ r0 `) i. {. c- a# o ]
Thank you all! Q% X0 s j9 u2 ^2 h
Ali |
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