May 8, 2026
The surprise happened at North Carolina State University during the commencement ceremony for the Wilson College of Textiles.
The Speaker and The Tribute
The keynote speaker was Anil Kochhar, an Indian-American entrepreneur and major donor to the university. He and his wife, Marilyn, took the stage at Reynolds Coliseum not just to give a standard speech, but to execute a massive surprise in honor of Anil’s late father, Prakash Chand Kochhar.
Midway through his address, Kochhar announced that to honor his father's journey, he and his wife were providing a graduation gift to completely cover all final-year education loans incurred by the graduates during the 2025–2026 academic year.
"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." — Anil Kochhar
The room immediately erupted into raucous cheers, gasps, and tears from both students and parents.
The Impact by the Numbers
Instead of just a few individuals, the gift instantly wiped away an entire year of college debt for a massive group:
176 students receiving their bachelor's degrees.
26 students receiving their master's degrees.
For many of the students—some of whom were children of immigrants themselves—the gesture was completely life-altering.
