Students expecting to leave graduation with diplomas also walked away with something else on Friday — relief from a chunk of their student debt.
According to the New York Post, graduates at North Carolina State University were caught completely off guard when commencement speaker Anil Kochhar announced that he and his wife, Marilyn, would pay off all final-year education loans for graduates from the Wilson College of Textiles.
The unexpected moment unfolded during the school’s commencement ceremony at Reynolds Coliseum, where cheers quickly broke out across the arena.
“It is my privilege to announce today that, in honor of my father Prakash Chand Kochhar, Marilyn and I are providing a graduation gift to cover all the final-year education loans incurred by Wilson College graduates during the 2025–26 academic year,” Kochhar told the stunned crowd.
Students and families immediately rose to their feet in applause as graduates processed the announcement.
The donation was made in memory of Kochhar’s father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, who arrived in Raleigh from Punjab, India, in 1946 on a scholarship to study textile manufacturing.
According to the university, he was believed to be only the second Indian student to attend the school at the time.
He later earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees before building a global career in the textile industry.
During his speech, Kochhar reflected on how unlikely his father’s journey once seemed.
“Eighty years ago, a young man traveled thousands of miles from India to Raleigh with little more than hope and determination,” he said.
“He could not have known where that journey would lead. He could not have imagined the life it would create, or that one day his son would stand here speaking to a graduating class at the very institution that welcomed him.”
Kochhar said he hoped the financial gift would help students pursue opportunities without the same financial pressure many graduates face.
“Marilyn and I hope that all of you leave Reynolds Coliseum today not only with a degree but with greater freedom to pursue your goals, take risks and build the lives you’ve worked so hard to achieve,” he said.
The graduating class included 176 undergraduate students and 26 master’s degree recipients.
For some students, the announcement carried personal significance beyond finances.
“As a daughter of immigrants, this money helps me and my family a lot, and I’m really fortunate to have an opportunity like this,” graduate Alyssa D’Costa said.
Kochhar also spoke emotionally about how his father’s legacy connected generations of students separated by decades.
“My father could not have imagined this moment. Not just me standing here, but all of you sitting here,” he said.
“A new generation, shaped by a different world, but connected by the same spirit of possibility that brought him here decades ago.”
University officials said the Kochhars coordinated with administrators and the financial aid office ahead of graduation to organize the debt assistance.
Wilson College of Textiles Dean David Hinks praised the donation and its impact on students entering the workforce.
“I could not be more grateful to Anil and Marilyn for this extraordinary investment in our newest Wilson for Life alumni,” Hinks said.
“One of our primary goals is to make the Wilson College affordable for all, and Anil and Marilyn are helping us achieve it.”
