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When arrived to Edmonton to start my graduate studies on 2004, me and
4 b, Z: D q( Z: z9 Wmy friend rented a very nice, spacious and shiny 2-bedroom apartment
+ q: w0 m/ V4 v3 |9 ]2 nin one of the Boardwalk's high rise buildings (Galbraith House) for + E2 h! b" s3 z
680 CAD(everything was included), believe it or not the same apartment' T# e! j6 `' i8 E& A3 x
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is more than 1300 CAD now.(I still have a copy of the contract and for! c& R. x% S. F4 x2 _# U0 t) m9 f
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the current price look at this link
2 k3 u& g$ U# _. W c$ m2 Bhttp://www.bwalk.com/Rental/infosheeta.asp?projectno=92). 100% 1 |7 T! O A$ `- N2 R
increase in housing cost!
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While I was paying 340CAD/month for more than a year, I抦 paying # l. N j1 U# g" |- j$ p% T7 Z, c
600CAD/month plus utilities right now, some thing around 700CAD/month.
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Other costs of leaving have also increased and the university & z1 b9 m8 D+ a
increases the tuition fee by few percent every year and international % e7 _! I8 K: L( F" d5 k
differential fee was increased by almost 20% last year. Add to this,
. e. m# ? O: z* a5 a% @the fact that the university housing has no more space for newcomers & x5 e A f. w
and most of the newly admitted students who applied for housing were
( `* R4 ]* @. L3 l8 S( vasked to look for a residence on open market.
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While the average cost of living for a typical graduate student has
0 n, f, [/ O5 @2 E! C3 k; O! }increased by something more than 70% percent we are getting paid . q) A* C$ s; ^2 y8 Q ~
exactly for the same amount of money that we were offered in our
. |+ [: C1 [; s& E( Sadmission letter (18000 CAD + 1500 CAD for international students
/ H. F2 f+ n* z=19500CAD. What I get is something around 1000CAD/month!!! after 9 G7 ]$ q. w) W( B' Y/ H
tuition fee and taxes). To make the argument easy to understand just 7 l0 N% v( s# A- j$ X
imagine that a new student gets the same amount of money that I am - j; P& Q9 X5 b
getting now and I was getting 3 years ago but he or she (like all of
2 X7 Z7 _0 p% s6 Vus) has to pay twice as much as I was paying for housing when I was
0 X, X. x. d' w! p) D4 ?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
7 ]6 l5 F* o' Y( v* k6 ~1 `7 OAlberta has a remarkable record in absorbing various money and grants ; D. K: y5 j% } x
from different governmental and non governmental sources and graduate 4 o, A, [% [% W7 z1 R# [. D
students are the main pillars of research work at the university.1 m& A/ T) O# ?* Z ~
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My objective in bringing all abovementioned points in your attention " |7 s' Q% }7 n& |
is to question the adequacy of financial aid for graduate and 7 H9 B5 ~ t: M9 s2 Q0 V/ g
especially international students. Isn抰 it time for the GSA to take3 W& k* T; ~8 n
% w( @4 L6 y: c8 c2 y/ }initiative in raising the issue of increasing financial aid for
, u# R+ y, }; F& C6 L& K( ~1 ograduate students so that the can afford this increase in costs?
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Please come with your experiences and ideas.9 m& A5 m. U0 |) X1 S6 q$ k8 ]
Thank you all
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