CNN recently interviewed an illegal immigrant in her last year at the University of Southern California, which admits "undocumented students."

She is a brilliant young woman with a 4.0 GPA at USC. She speaks polished English and is active in charitable community activities. But she can't vote, and won't have that right anytime soon.

Being an illegal immigrant, she lamented that she can't enter the professional work force in this country when she graduates. She'll be limited to jobs that don't require documentation -- destined for a life under the radar in a job for which she is probably way overqualified.

Intrigued, I did a little research.

Besides USC, a few other universities that don't require citizenship for admission: Texas, New Mexico, the University of Arizona, Maryland and Salisbury.

Towson, Frostburg and the University of Oklahoma require some legal documentation. Going out on a limb, I'd say that most don't require documentation of any kind.

Years ago, Willie Nelson drawled: "If you've got the money, honey, I've got the time." That seems to be a silent chant in college admissions offices all over the country. If you've got the grades, we don't care if you're from Uranus, we'll take your money, give you financial aid if you need it, and you can study here.

The deflating irony for illegal immigrants: You can prepare for a professional position in this country, but you won't be able to use those skills and hold down a professional job here.

By admitting illegal immigrants, our advanced education system puts them in a "Catch-22" situation. They've received a degree but must work here illegally -- probably not in the field they studied and without the skills they'd learned. Sad situation for illegal immigrant professionals-to-be.

I've got a plan. While these illegal immigrants go through their studies, colleges and universities would assist with job placement in their own country. When they finish school, they go back to their country, get a job with their American diplomas and begin the naturalization process if they want to come back.

No way this will ever happen.

A second option is not to admit illegal immigrants to college or universities. Open that classroom seat to an American. Give that publicly funded financial aid to a citizen.

Whose fault is it that the soon-to-be USC grad won't find a professional job after graduation? Is it USC's? America's?

If you really want to be a U.S. citizen, do whatever it takes. Many "new Americans" don't accept our citizenship laws. Others have a misplaced sense of entitlement. Many don't care to be baptized in American history, civics and our English language.

But whatever it is, it is what it is. We land where fate drops us.

A "pathway to citizenship"? We've had one for years, and millions have successfully walked the path with pride.

In an earlier column I noted that if I were an illegal immigrant and needed to feed my family, I be climbing the fence ... but not expecting American privileges.

... in times like these ...

Hardy R. Stone Jr.

writes from Walkersville.

(Bluepoint1@comcast.net)