Rob in Calgary - do you know that tuition for non-Canadians is about double that of Canadians? That is the real reason that overseas students are given preferential treatment. The government funds post-secondary education based on the number of CANADIAN students enrolled. All post-secondary institutions make their "real" money by charging foreign students significantly more to pursue an education. It makes sense financially for post-secondary institutions to accept more foreign students.  A quick fix? Maintain the foreign tuition at its current price and deduct the amount paid by all foreign students from the government funding.