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By Kory Varlen, Grant MacEwan Social Work Practicum Student
Having made the decision to return to school in 2009, and still convalescing from a viral infection that had paralyzed my left vocal chord, I was thrilled to find that Alberta Employment and Immigration was funding two year diploma programs in Edmonton. I was accepted into the Social Work program at Grant MacEwan in early Spring of 2009 and eagerly looked forward to beginning my new life as a mature student that September. Having just returned from living for over a decade in Ecuador, I knew the value of living simply and frugally. I thought I had living economically down to a science and was proud of how well I could budget. ESL teachers living in 3rd world countries are not that well paid. My financial management skills were sharp but they were to become razor ready in ways that I could never have imagined thanks to ‘Learner Income Support’ benefits. And just a quick note before I launch into the numbers, don’t get me wrong, I was delighted to be a recipient of this program and the government of Alberta’s social policies for full employment through educational opportunities. I guess I just never knew how little I was going to have to live on and manage to stay warm at the same time.
So let’s get down to the numbers. As a full-time student I live on $834.00 a month which, broken into Alberta Works categories, allocates for a Core Shelter Benefit (Code 1130) of $323.00 and a Core Essential Benefit (Code 1430) of $511.00. At the time of processing my application, I remember asking the counsellor how anyone could live on these paltry sums. She just rolled her eyes and sadly said, “I know, isn’t it terrible.” I asked her where she thought I was going to find a place to live for $323.00 that wasn’t a rat infested hole (actually I said something more along the lines of “Where do you think I can find dignified accommodation for that price?”). I could see that the “how”, “where” and “why” questions weren’t going anywhere, so I thanked her and hoped that she could find a little more money for me somewhere in the system. She told me she would try. That was June. By August, my award came through but the numbers hadn’t changed. Meanwhile, in July I had secured a shared apartment arrangement in Millwoods at an outstanding bargain - $575.00 (not including utilities).
After rent there was only $259.00 left in the kitty. My $511.00 allocation had, after paying the rent, been reduced by half. For clarity, the Alberta Works Core Essential (Code 1430) allocation is for: food, clothing, household needs (including furniture, appliances and household supplies), personal needs, installation and use of a telephone, laundry and transportation (costs associated with owning a vehicle). I’d like to meet anyone who can stretch $259.00 to cover the items in this category. I’ve tried and failed hundreds of times in the past 19 months. If it weren’t for the kindness of friends, neighbours, strangers, 3 bursary awards, 2 scholarships and my VISA card, I don’t know what I would have done.
 I suppose Alberta Works expects me to find a part-time job or, as one speaker from Alberta Works who came out to address our Social Work class last year said, “Go out and trap hares if you’re hungry.” He really said that. I have arthritis in both my feet now and I can’t do that. But what I can do is study and earn the highest levels of knowledge that I can in a field that I have chosen to dedicate the rest of my life to serving. The two year diploma program for social work at Grant MacEwan is a demanding curriculum and one to which I have dedicated myself, heart and soul. If at times I don’t have the clothes that I would like to wear or the food in the fridge that I desire to eat, it’s only a temporary situation. For now, I’m warm, the heat is on and there’s always plenty of hot water. At $575.00 a month, such comforts are a bargain.
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Thursday, 17 May 2012 
