New York DREAM Act held up by overly broad language

Heralded as a boon to undocumented immigrant New Yorkers, the DREAM Act has been on hold for more than two months because of legislative language that would allow foreign nationals attending college on temporary visas to obtain state tuition assistance.The legislation, which bounced around the Capitol for a decade before being passed by the Assembly and Senate in January, was crafted to benefit so-called "Dreamers," undocumented immigrant students who in many cases have lived most of their lives in America. There are between 6,000 and 8,000 undocumented students in New York's higher education system.The measure's immediate fate has become ensnared in the ongoing budget negotiations, with the state Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo hashing out changes to the eligibility requirements and identifying the $27 million in funding needed to pay for its provisions.The bill has yet to be sent to the governor for his signature. A spokesman for Cuomo, who wants the language rewritten to narrow eligibility for the funds, said officials "hope to resolve these issues soon."