With more American students opting to study abroad, more and more students are trying to find suitable housing for the semester.

Syracuse University student Ryan Blum has created a solution.

Blum, a senior entrepreneurship major, created Study Abroad Apartments, a company that provides students with a more transparent housing process while abroad. Students live with other students as a way to adjust to foreign culture and make the overseas experience more enjoyable.

“The reason I started this company is because after experiencing abroad independent housing options, I realized that there was no American company that helps students find apartments abroad,” Blum said.

Alongside his partner, Brett Newman, a student at The Ohio State University, Blum created Study Abroad Apartments four months ago to help those in the same situation he was put in. The company has since served more than 75 students.

Blum said Study Abroad Apartments has served students from more than 14 colleges across the country, including the University of Arizona, University of Michigan and University of Florida.

Study Abroad Apartments recently added a service to its already popular semester-long housing service. Blum said his company is offering short-term apartment rentals for any students and families who visit Barcelona for Spring Break or a weekend abroad.

About 283,332 American students studied abroad in 2011-2012, compared to a little more than 270,000 in 2010-2011, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Studying abroad is very popular on SU’s campus. Approximately 40 percent of SU students spend a semester abroad, according to SU Abroad’s website.

Blum said worries about money have also plagued students.

“Not only is finding an apartment in a foreign country hard, but more importantly, people find it hard to trust sending a whole semester’s rent to a broker in Spain,” Blum said.

Blum uses the knowledge he gained from his time in Spain to provide a good foundation for his clients.

Tori Schneebaum, a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said she used Study Abroad Apartments because she first used another program that didn’t have the most ideal housing options.

Schneebaum also said she had never traveled to Barcelona before, but said Study Abroad Apartments made sure that she and her roommates were comfortable and living in a safe place.

Jesse Yodice, a student at Indiana University, used the service for the same reasons. He said he found the company after looking at other options, like student housing.

“A friend contacted me about a new startup called Study Abroad Apartments and decided that their knowledge, as well as their customer service, far exceeded any other company that I looked into,” Yodice said.

Study Abroad Apartments currently has three student complexes in Barcelona, which only abroad students live in, Blum said. He added that he hopes his company will grow to include other locations, and even has plans to expand this coming fall. He said he hopes to provide a resource for the growing number of American students leaving the United States to study.

While some companies with the same objective as Study Abroad Apartments charge up to $200 for their services, Blum and his associates charge a $99 fee.

Alyssa Davidson, a junior communication and rhetorical studies major at SU, said the $99 fee was worth it.

“I am very happy with my living arrangements here in Barcelona and love my apartment,” she said.

The work of Blum and Newman has not gone unnoticed. Study Abroad Apartments has been selected to compete in Cupid’s Cup, a tournament for startup businesses, which is run by the head executives of Under Armour.

Schneebaum, the UMass Amherst student, summed up the company’s goal in one sentence: “Study Abroad Apartments made sure that this experience was as great as it could possibly be.”

Published on January 23, 2014 at 1:36 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306