- Philanthropist Anil Kochhar made the announcement during his commencement address at NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- The gift covers all final-year education loans incurred by Wilson College graduates during the 2025–26 academic year.
- Kochhar dedicated the gift to his late father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, who arrived at NC State from Punjab, India in 1946.
A graduation speaker wiped out the final year debts of those graduating in one swoop.
Anil Kochhar made the announcement mid-speech at Wilson College of Textiles‘ commencement in Raleigh, North Carolina, stating he and his wife, Marilyn, would clear every senior-year student loan in the room.
“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 said.
The gift covers every loan taken out by Wilson College graduates during the 2025–26 academic year – a class of more than 200.
“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 said.
Alyssa D’Costa, a fashion and textile management major, was among the graduates.
“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,” D’Costa said.
She is enrolled in the college’s Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program and will complete her master’s degree in the spring.
The Kochhars named the gift for Anil’s father, who arrived at NC State from Punjab, India in 1946. Prakash Chand Kochhar earned his bachelor’s degree in textile manufacturing in 1950 and his master’s two years later, before building a textile engineering career across the United States and overseas.
“Eighty years ago, a young man traveled thousands of miles from India to Raleigh with little more than hope and determination,” Anil Kochhar told the graduates. “He could not have known where that journey would lead.”
David Hinks, the inaugural Prakash Chand Kochhar Dean at Wilson College of Textiles, said the couple approached him with the idea before the ceremony. College leadership coordinated with NC State’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to put it in place.
“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.”
The loan gift follows a separate investment the Kochhars announced in late March, supporting the college’s leadership, graduate students and faculty.
