With the costs of higher education rising every year, officials at the University of Northern Iowa call their new “Two-Year Advantage” plan an inflation fighter for students — and their parents. U-N-I’s the first of Iowa’s three public universities to offer the plan which allows students living in residence halls to get the same dining and housing rates for two years in a row, along with some other perks. U-N-I assistant residence director Pat Beck says the dorm rates rose six-percent last year, or 278 dollars. Students still have flexibility between meal plans and the types of rooms, but the rates are locked in and will not rise. Beck says residence hall rates at U-N-I, and at Iowa and Iowa State, have risen steadily since 1988. That’s why she expects this pilot program to be especially alluring to students and their folks as it helps control costs.Beck says studies find students who live on-campus have consistently higher grade points averages than those who live off-campus. The deadline to sign up for the “Two-Year Advantage” program is Friday.