A student living in direct provision in Limerick achieved 575 points in her Leaving Certificate yesterday - despite only being in Ireland since 2013.
But Anna Kern, originally from the Ukraine, will not be eligible for State support to enter third-level education.
"I have to pay fees as a non-EU international student so this is my problem," she told Newstalk Breakfast.
Anna - who wants to study in the Royal College of Surgeons - says the fees would cost her €25,000 a year.
"My mom is not permitted to work, so I can't afford (it) myself".
Her principal at Nano Nagle Secondary School, Marion Cummins, has called for the Government to intervene to help students like Anna enter further education.
"575 points is just an amazing result - particularly in light of the fact that she hasn't gone through the Irish education system", she told Breakfast.
"It's the government's responsibility to look after these young people".
"We take them into our schools, we embrace them, we teach them, we give them the best of Irish education - and then at the end we abandon them".
