Singer Kelly Rowland is finally qualified - she's been handed the high school diploma she left too early to receive.

Last month (MAR03) the Destiny's Child beauty, 22, made a trip back to LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL in Houston, Texas, where she surprised a group of music students by gate-crashing the rehearsals.

DILEMMA star Rowland, who spent just half of her ninth grade at the school before leaving to pursue stardom with her groupmates, made the students squeal with delight when she showed unannounced and joined in with her warm-up.

And after she ran the pupils through the warm-up methods she and bandmates Beyonce Knowles and Michelle Williams do before they start singing, the teacher reversed the surprise by handing her a high school diploma - and declaring 12 March as Kelly Rowland Day.

An emotional Rowland, who never had the chance to graduate, gushes, "It was really good to be back."