A WOMAN collected a £58,000 NHS student bursary by claiming she was allowed to stay in this country.
A court heard on Tuesday how Faith Kahanda used a forged Home Office document in support of her bursary application and went on to become a nurse.
By the time she went on her nursing course, she had received permission to stay here, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.
The 34-year-old from Berkley Close, Highwoods, Colchester, admitted charges of fraud and posession of a false Home Office document when she appeared in court.
Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC adjourned sentence for reports and told the single mother to return to court at the end of next month. She was bailed until then.
The court heard Kahanda only had temporary permission to remain in the UK when she applied for the bursary from the Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford.
She used the forged document to show she had indefinite leave to stay in Britain to support her claim, the court heard.
The total amount involved in the student bursary was £58,067.69.
Her lawyer, Laura Austin, told the court Kahanda came to Britain in 2002 and was given temporary permission to stay.
By the time she started the course, she had received indefinite leave to remain here, Miss Austin said.
Matters came to light after an anonymous tip-off to the NHS and Kahanda is currently suspended.
She is facing an NHS misconduct hearing and her future as a mental health nurse depends on the court sentence she receives next month, Miss Austin told the court.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here