Speaker Pays Off Final Year Loans for 202 NC State Grads

Imagine walking into graduation expecting a typical speech about chasing dreams, only to leave with an entire year of student loans erased.

That's exactly what happened to 202 students at North Carolina State University's Wilson College of Textiles when commencement speaker Anil Kochhar made a stunning announcement. Standing before graduates in their red caps and gowns, he revealed that he and his wife Marilyn would pay off every 2026 graduate's final year of education loans.

The arena erupted in cheers and applause. In an instant, 176 bachelor's degree recipients and 26 master's degree students had thousands of dollars in debt wiped clean.

"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," Kochhar told the stunned graduates.

The generous gift carries deep personal meaning. Kochhar's father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, emigrated from India to Raleigh, North Carolina, in the 1940s to study textile manufacturing. He was believed to be only the second Indian student ever enrolled at the university.

The elder Kochhar earned his bachelor's degree in 1950 and master's degree in 1952, then built a successful career at a global textiles company. Though he passed away in 1985, his legacy lives on through a scholarship that's existed for 40 years.

"My father could not have imagined this moment," the younger Kochhar said. "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."

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends far beyond individual bank accounts. Alyssa D'Costa, a fashion and textile management major and daughter of immigrants herself, shared how the gift helps her entire family. For many graduates, this unexpected windfall means the freedom to take that dream job with a lower salary, start a business, or simply begin adult life without crushing monthly payments.

What Kochhar remembers most about his father speaks to the power of education and opportunity: "The look in his eyes told me anything is possible."

Now 202 new graduates head into the world with that same spirit of possibility and a little more freedom to chase it.