College grads stunned after surprise donor pays off their student loans

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Students at North Carolina State University were surprised and excited when the graduation speaker announced he would pay off their remaining student loan debt.

During the university’s May 8 graduation ceremony at Wilson College of Textiles, donor and businessman Anil Kochhar surprised everyone by announcing he and his wife, Marilyn, would cover all student loan debt for the graduating class of 2025-26.

Graduates erupt after donor wipes student debt

Videos of the ceremony quickly went viral, showing students cheering wildly and giving Kochhar a standing ovation when the announcement was made.

Kochhar announced during his graduation speech that he and his wife, Marilyn, are giving a gift in honor of his father to cover all remaining student loan debt for Wilson College graduates from the 2025-26 academic year.

Kochhar said the donation would cover the entire academic year of 2025-2026.

As reported by Axios Raleigh, the donation will help approximately 200 graduates, with 176 being undergraduate students from the college.

Kochhar explained that the donation was a tribute to his father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, who came to the US from India in the 1940s and went on to study textile manufacturing at NC State.

Look, as I was sitting here, I was really hoping everyone graduating today doesn’t just walk away with a diploma, but also feels empowered to chase their dreams, take some chances, and finally build the life they’ve been working towards. That’s what I really want for all of you.

The university stated it worked with its financial aid office to help students benefit from the debt relief plan.

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2026-05-13 17:18