Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to fraudulently conspiring to win a college place for her daughter and as a result, could spend up to four months in prison.
The former Desperate Housewives star admitted before a Boston court to paying US $15,000 (AUS $21,500) in 2017 to have her daughter’s exam answers secretly corrected.
The US actress said in a statement last month that she was in “full acceptance” of her guilt.
According to reporters, the Emmy-winning actress cried whilst speaking to the judge and as prosecutors recommended a four-month prison term and a US$20,000 (AUS 28,700) fine.
Huffman was among 50 others, including Full House star Lori Loughlin, charged in the college admissions scandal.
The wealthy parents charged in the investigation allegedly paid bribes, had exams altered, and even had their children edited into stock photos to fake sporting talents.
As a result, they fraudulently managed to secure places for their offspring at top US universities including Yale, Georgetown and Stanford.
Huffman was pictured arriving to the hearing hand-in-hand with her brother.
Her husband, actor William H Macy, also had contact with William Singer – the scam’s mastermind – however Mr Macy was spared charges.
Singer helped Huffman falsify a college entrance exam score for her oldest daughter, Sophia Macy. However, Huffman said her daughter was unaware of the cheating, and that she felt “regret and shame” for having “betrayed” her.
Huffman is due to be sentenced on September 13.
Lori Loughlin has pleaded not guilty to paying US $500,000 (AUS $720,000) in bribes to have her daughters accepted to the University of Southern California as members of the rowing team.