A YORK man who left school with a handful of GCSEs is to fulfil his dreams of studying at Cambridge - after a funding mix-up nearly cost him his place.

David Sainz, 25, of St Stephen's Road, was heartbroken earlier this year when he was turned down for university funding by City of York Council.

David had failed to get another job in Britain after the Boroughbridge computing firm he was working for went bust, so moved to join his father in Spain, where he worked for a few months a year as a DJ.

Strict national guidelines stipulate that anyone who has not been resident in the UK for three years before they apply to university is not normally eligible for funding.

Unaware of these guidelines, David told the council in his funding application form that he had lived abroad, without making it clear that his visits there had only been temporary.

But now the council has granted him full funding, after he was able to supply precise dates of when he had lived in Spain.

After completing a university access course at York College, he will now go on to study computer science at Hughes Hall, Cambridge.

He said: "I can't wait to go now - I'm so happy."

A council spokeswoman said: "We're pleased that the problem is now resolved and wish Daniel every success with his course at Cambridge."

Updated: 10:47 Friday, June 04, 2004