After eliminating a developmental writing course and creating an accelerated "Studio" composition course for basic writers, I investigated these students' needs (uninterrupted time, quiet spaces, social support, and academic help) and the resources that met those needs. Qualitative analysis of interviews with forty-nine students demonstrated that successful students were able to draw upon more resources, including time, space, and social support, than unsuccessful students, who ran short. I theorize, using terms developed by Deborah Brandt, that the literacy of the less successful students was not fully subsidized. These results support basic writing course models that integrate academic, affective, and social support into classroom work.