While UNHCR estimates there are approximately 26 million refugees globally, only 1% of them have access to higher education. In US higher education, number of refugee-background students is often not tracked as they tend to be lumped together with other domestic students. While we do have some studies that explore transition and acculturation issues, studies that focus on academic literacy experiences of students with refugee-backgrounds are still low. As part of a bigger longitudinal study, which explored literacy challenges and negotiations of such students, this chapter discusses the need for understanding students' prior views and literacy experiences in designing effective pedagogical practices so that such academically underprepared students also can succeed in higher education. [For the complete volume, "Refugee Education across the Lifespan: Mapping Experiences of Language Learning and Use. Educational Linguistics. Volume 50," see ED660722.]