Hanoi  - A Vietnamese university has canceled a planned tuition hike after students staged protests, a university official confirmed Thursday.

More than 300 students at Hong Bang University in Ho Chi Minh City staged an all-day protest Wednesday after the university raised tuition fees for the second semester from 2.84 million dong (162 dollars) to 3.49 million dong.

University officials decided late Wednesday to cancel the hike after meeting with student representatives.

"I think the economic crisis is the main reason for this protest," said Nguyen Minh Man, assistant to the university's rector. "Our decision was announced at a very sensitive time."

Despite 35-degree temperatures, students rallied all day at the university gate, causing traffic jams that lasted several hours.

Public protests are rare in Vietnam, which is a one-party Communist state.

Man said students were angry with the rise in tuition because many of their parents had lost their jobs recently. Meanwhile, utility prices are rising.

Man also blamed the university's finance department for failing to inform students of the rate hike at the start of the new year.

Vietnamese online newspaper VnExpress quoted students as saying the university had failed to inform them until the last minute and that the 29-dollar tuition increase would be difficult for their parents to pay. (dpa)