Abstract: Our research addresses how to improve the recruitment and retention of STEM teachers for high need schools through service scholarships like the GW Noyce Scholarship Program and on-campus support. Grounded theory was used to structure and guide our research. Noyce staff interviewed and surveyed GWU students who are enrolled in teaching-focused courses, including Noyce Scholarship recipients committed to teaching after graduation. WebEx interviews were conducted, and the questions related to student perceptions of STEM teaching careers, service scholarships, the GW Noyce Scholarship program, and university efforts to promote teaching as a viable career path. Interviews were anonymized and coded to identify emergent themes in the STEM student experience. Major themes that arose from the interviews included the influence of academic advisors, career flexibility, fear of burnout, campus culture, service scholarship as a recruitment tool, mentorship, financial burden, and contextual teaching. The procedures for our work reported here with human subjects had the approval of our Institutional Research Board.