Since 2001, legislation that would allow undocumented youths to pursue higher education has been repeatedly introduced in Congress. And since then, thousands of students have been waiting for educational barriers to be reduced.

In most states, undocumented students are not eligible for in-state tuition rates for public universities. They cannot access federal financial aid and the vast majority of private scholarships, as the College Board points out in a just-released report, apply federal standards, which leaves undocumented students on the outside. And even though the only country that most of them know is the United States, they remain at risk of deportation.

The DREAM Act would offer a conditional legal status to high school graduates who came to the United States at or before the age of 15 and who meet other eligibility requirements. These students would have to secure an associate's degree or complete two years of military service to become eligible for U.S. citizenship.

But the first commitment has to come from Congress. Our legislators must redouble their efforts to make the DREAM Act a reality. If not, the nation stands to lose—big.

This is because aging baby boomers, the largest U.S. generation of workers and homeowners, will need to be replaced. Because it skews younger, the Latino population can respond to workforce needs—if it is prepared.

These rising workers, both foreign and native born, must have the skills and knowledge that the U.S economy demands. But denying thousands of students access to higher education, and in turn, the earning capacity that generates spending, investments and tax revenue, undercuts the nation's economic growth.

The potential of undocumented students is a slice of the overall immigrant potential. For the future of this nation, it behooves Congress to pass the DREAM Act and lay a path towards successful immigration reform.