Graduation Surprise: Indian-American Philanthropist Clears Loans of 200+ Students

Students of North Carolina State University were in for a huge surprise during their graduation ceremony last week. While attending the graduation, Indian-American philanthropist Anil Kochhar and his wife, Marilyn, announced that they would pay off all the final-year loans of the graduating class of 2025-26, a total of 176 students, as well as an additional 26 who earned master’s degrees.

Kochhar, whose father is a NC State alumnus was the commencement speaker during Friday's ceremony. He said that the announcement was meant to honour his late father's journey from Punjab to Raleigh.

“It is my privilege to announce today that, in honour 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," wearing a red NC State cap, Kochhar told the class of 2026.

Kochhar is a textile industry executive, serving as the vice chairman and co-founder of Outcomes Health Info Solutions.

His father Prakash Chand Kochhar, had travelled from Punjab to Raleigh in 1946 to study textile manufacturing at North Carolina State University, becoming the second Indian student ever to enroll at the university. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the school in 1952.

A year after his passing away, Prakash Chand Kochhar Memorial Textile Scholarship was created in 1986.

“My father could not have imagined this moment. Not just me standing here, but all of you sitting here… A new generation, shaped by a different world, but connected by the same spirit of possibility that brought him here decades ago. And that’s what today represents,” said Kochhar.

The video of the ceremony has gone viral, surpassing a million views.