{"id":437,"date":"2026-05-18T10:40:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T10:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=437"},"modified":"2026-05-18T10:40:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T10:40:06","slug":"who-is-the-man-behind-nc-states-surprise-student-debt-cancellation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=437","title":{"rendered":"Who is the man behind NC State\u2019s surprise student debt cancellation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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At a commencement ceremony this month, Anil Kochhar astonished graduating NC State students in the Wilson College of Textiles by canceling all the student debt<\/a> they had incurred during their senior year.<\/p>\n

Read more Inside a Carolina Hurricanes defensive duo\u2019s chemistry: Friendship forged in faith<\/a><\/p>\n

But the humble Raleigh native can hardly believe he\u2019s now considered a \u201cphilanthropist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kochhar\u2019s father travelled from Punjab, India, to Raleigh in 1946 to study textile manufacturing at NC State. He earned both his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees at Wilson College, and went on to have a career that allowed him to travel the country and the world. While studying at NC State, he met his wife, a girl from Elkin. When he died in 1986, he willed that a scholarship to Wilson College<\/a> be set up in his name.<\/p>\n

His son, the younger Kochhar, attended Broughton High School before he enrolled at NC State. During college, he transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n

Now though, at 69, he\u2019s quite clear on where his allegiances lie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not Chapel Hill, it\u2019s NC State\u2019s Wilson College for life,\u201d Kochhar told The News & Observer. \u201cFor my parent, I will do what I can to support this college, because they received my father, and so NC State forever is fantastic with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s chosen to continue his father\u2019s legacy of giving to Wilson College. That\u2019s why the dean of the school is known as the Prakash Chand Kochhar Dean<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But this idea \u2014 to cancel final-year student debt for the graduating class \u2014 was a moment of inspiration. He had been wanting to find a way to support the current students.<\/p>\n

The last time NC State approached Kochhar about the possibility of more giving, it was a serendipitous day. He was visiting Raleigh and decided to check with his investment bank to see what he was working with. They had very good news for him.<\/p>\n

Kochhar felt like it was his dad, somehow making that money appear from beyond the grave.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt happened because it was right,\u201d Kochhar said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful that there was money to share. It was my father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, all the way, and the faith I have in the great creator, and my wife, Marilyn. She\u2019s the best. She\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The response to his gift has been enormous, Kochhar said. There have been hundreds of news articles about it, NC State told him. He\u2019s even heard from family, friends, and strangers back in India who are sharing in the happiness.<\/p>\n

Kochhar also gives to Daraja Academy, which provides educational opportunities for girls in Kenya. But all the attention around this recent act of generosity at NC State has energized him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m documented on the great viral web as a philanthropist,\u201d Kochhar said. \u201cSo I\u2019m gonna move on and see what else I can do to be useful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kochhar now lives in California, working as a certified actuary for Axene Health Partners. He can hardly believe the growth that the Triangle has seen since he graduated from UNC all those years ago.<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t come to North Carolina often, but when he does, he always makes sure to visit his mother\u2019s grave in Elkin.<\/p>\n

And when he comes east to the Triangle, he never misses a meal at Pure Soul, a vegan soul food restaurant in Durham.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much time has passed, but it\u2019s a great town. The people are so nice,\u201d Kochhar said.<\/p>\n

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Anil Kochhar, a Raleigh native, canceled senior-year debt for Wilson College students at NC State, honoring father Prakash Chand Kochhar who loved the school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nWho is the man behind NC State\u2019s surprise student debt cancellation? - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=437\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who is the man behind NC State\u2019s surprise student debt cancellation? 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