The AltFinance Fellowship is the brainchild of top alternative investment firms Ares Management, Apollo Global Management and Oaktree Capital Management.
Selected students will also receive a scholarship of up to $10,000 if they're sophomores, while juniors and seniors can receive up to $15,000.
Partnering schools include Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College.
The private equity, private credit and commercial real estate industry has about $10 trillion in assets under management, according to data provider Preqin.
"This is not a charitable activity," Howard Marks, co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, told CNBC.