A sample of 73 Vietnamese refugees living in San Diego North County, California, was surveyed about their educational and vocational background, both before and after arrival in the United States. The average age of the respondents was 34 years. The respondents had received an average of 11.5 years of education in Vietnam and 20.5 months in the United States. They had studied English as a second language for an average of 15.4 months, and two-thirds had received some form of financial aid to attend school. The results indicate that Vietnamese refugees have been unable to resume their former livelihoods and have had to enter the U.S. work force at the bottom of the ladder despite the magnitude of educational and financial aid services they have received. (RW)