Education is frequently cited as the path to an informed citizenry with an optimistic economic outlook. Consequently, it is not surprising that there is an initiative to extend postsecondary educational opportunities to underserved and at-risk demographics. A challenge facing educators that serve at-risk populations is the tension between facilitating student success and maintaining academic standards. This tension is pronounced in STEM-related fields, which is evidenced by underrepresentation of at-risk demographics in STEM-related professions. Although many at-risk students correctly perceive that a degree in a STEM discipline can lead to a well-paying career, few are prepared for the rigor and volume of material in college-level STEM courses. Active learning can improve success rates for at-risk students; however, these approaches to pedagogy are often time expensive. As such, they can reduce content, which may leave students unexposed to concepts whose knowledge is assumed in subsequent classes and/or expected by employers. When these issues are considered in conjunction with the fact that at-risk students are frequently unaware of the time commitment required to excel in their classes, it is hardly surprising that grade adjustments are common in STEM classes.