This is the time of year when thousands of teens all over the country await, full of hope, letters telling them they have been accepted to a university.

Massiel Delgadillo is one of these teenagers. Applications from this young Dominican student have already been accepted at four private universities, but it is doubtful the young woman will be able to pursue her studies at any of them. Delgadillo, who is undocumented, cannot receive financial assistance from the government, nor from many of the private organizations that offer scholarships.

Delgadillo, an honor student, ranked sixth in academic qualifications among the more than 200 students at her school, and has a 94.3 grade average.

“I haven’t missed a day of school since second grade,” said the girl. “I really like what I’m doing in high school.”

The young woman, who hopes to study psychology, biology, or pediatrics, said she never thought her legal situation would stand in her way. She found out when a college counselor told her she would not qualify for government financial assistance.

“It’s not about you, dear,” said the counselor, as Delgadillo and her mother, Yandra Mordán, tell it. The counselor explained to Delgadillo that with her grades, she’d be accepted, but because of her immigration status, the path to financial aid was blocked.

“I felt like giving up. I’ve worked so hard,” said Delgadillo.

It is estimated that there are over 50,000 students like Delgadillo in the country. The problem of undocumented students who have grown up in this country and have the talent to continue their studies at a university – but can’t – prompted the creation of the DREAM Act, which has been presented to Congress for several years now but has never been approved. One version of the act would legalize students who have lived in the country five years or more, arrived before the age of 16, and have completed high school.

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, one of the sponsors of the bill, pointed out in one of his speeches that undocumented students “are effectively being prevented from [pursuing their] academic development beyond high school because of the high cost of a college education. What a tremendous loss for them, and what a tremendous loss for our society.”

The DREAM Act is not now before Congress, because it must be resubmitted. As long as the act has not become law, undocumented students must rely on private organizations that can offer scholarships not subject to this limitation.

Organizations like the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) keep lists of available scholarships, but the sources are limited.

Since she lives in New York, Massiel Delgadillo has the option of attending the public university system, the City University of New York, CUNY [which does not require that a prospective student present a Social Security number when applying]. This is what Alejandra, another undocumented student from Colombia, is doing. But like Delgadillo, Alejandra has ambitions of attending a private university.

“It’s not that there’s anything wrong with CUNY,” says Alejandra. “It’s about being accepted at the school of your choice,” but not being able to go there because of a legal obstacle.

Delgadillo’s hope now rests in the residency petition her mother has filed. Immigration authorities have already set a date for an interview with her, but it will be in the summer, too late for the young woman to be able to attend one of the colleges where she has been accepted for the fall.

Alejandra’s prospects are even more discouraging because she cannot file for residency in the immediate future. Even after she graduates from the university, Alejandra will still find the door closed to many jobs offered to a college graduate.