[canistr]

Well, there are a few issues with this.

Firstly, many Waterloo STEM students already do this based on the school's curriculum of interweaving work and study terms. Fortunately and unfortunately, these are exactly the students being lured away into the US.

Secondly the Ontario Government (i.e. Wynne Government and potentially NDPs), has lowered tuition costs for families making under 160k by 30% with the intention of further lowering the costs to (eventually) free in the future. In other words, they fully intend to increase government debt to fund tuition costs for all Ontario students (except if you're middle class and higher). But guess what? Will this really have an impact on Waterloo STEM grads? Unlikely. Increasing payback doesn't affect the students who CAN afford it.