He shared that his father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, had moved to Raleigh in 1946 to study textile manufacturing at NC State (Image source: @CollinRugg/X)
Indian-origin philanthropist Anil Kochhar is making waves after he surprised graduating students at North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles by announcing that he and his wife, Marilyn Kochhar, would pay off all final-year student loans for the college’s class of 2026.
Announcing this at a ceremony in Raleigh on May 8, Kochhar said the gesture was a tribute to his late father, Prakash Chand Kochhar.
“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,” Kochhar said in the video.
Reflecting on his father’s journey from India to the United States nearly eight decades ago, Kochhar said, “Eighty years ago, a young man travelled thousands of miles from India to Raleigh with little more than hope and determination. He could not have known where that journey would lead. He could not have imagined the life it would create.”
He said Prakash Chand Kochhar moved to Raleigh in 1946 to study textile manufacturing at NC State University. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 and a master’s degree in 1952 before beginning his career at Industrial Rayon in New York City as a sales service coordinator.
“He arrived in a country far from home, at a time very different from today, but he was welcomed with open arms,” he added. “They said, Prakash, we’re glad you’re here.”
NEW: Students go nuts after donor announces during his commencement speech that he is paying off all of their senior year debts.
Anil Kochhar and his wife decided to give the gift to all ~200 graduates in N.C. State’s family.
Kochhar is the son of Prakash Chand Kochhar, an… pic.twitter.com/oCPcMwFaW1
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 10, 2026
The video of the commencement ceremony has gone viral, garnering over a million views and a deluge of reactions. “Very nice gesture for the graduates who incurred student loan debt in their senior year, but once again, those students and their parents who made the extra efforts and paid their education costs out of pocket receive no benefit or attention,” an X user wrote. “The emotional part is that he didn’t just donate money. He honored his father’s immigrant journey by creating opportunities for the next generation. That’s legacy,” another user commented.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
