A Limerick school principal has praised the "diligent and sympathetic" way in which Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has dealt with the plight of a top Leaving Certificate student who found her way into third-level education blocked by fees.

She’s been living here for the past two years and this week she scored top marks in her Leaving Certificate — the highest of any pupil at her school — but annual fees of €25,000 threaten her ambition to attend college here.