Commencement surprise: Debt relief for N.C. State grads
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A donor surprised around 200 N.C. State students at their graduation Friday with a promise to erase all debt they took on during the current school year.
Why it matters: The gift from Anil and Marilyn Kochhar will benefit graduates in N.C. State's Wilson College of Textiles.
Zoom in: Anil Kochhar's father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, immigrated from India to Raleigh 80 years ago to study textile manufacturing.
- He earned degrees in 1950 and 1952, and his family has endowed several scholarships in his name since his 1985 death.
What they're saying: Anil Kochhar was bursting with joy and emotion as he deliver the news in a speech at Friday morning's commencement. He wore a red N.C. State ball cap.
- He said as part of the Wolfpack, his father "found not just an education, but an opportunity that allowed him to build a life, support his families and begin a legacy that continues today. And it will never stop, never."
- In a time when the world is "faced with many challenges in medicine, sustainability, humanitarian relief, technology and beyond … your education has given you the tools to meet these challenges with creativity and conviction," he told the graduates.
By the numbers: 176 students earned bachelor's degrees from the college in 2026, including in fields such as fashion design, textile engineering and polymer and color chemistry.
- Another 26 earned master's degrees.
- N.C. State didn't immediately have an estimate of the gift's value, but tells Axios that the calculations are underway.
What's next: Commencement ceremonies continue around the Triangle this weekend at UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, N.C. State and N.C. Central.