Critter Stop's Public Page Lists No 2026 Cooke County Scholarship Winners

Critter Stop's public scholarship page does not currently name five Cooke County students as its 2026 recipients. As of June 22, the page showed application materials for the 2026 cycle next to a section listing the company's 2025 award winners, and it identified no one as a 2026 recipient.

The 2026 Best in the West Scholarship page describes ten awards of $1,000 each for high school seniors in Texas and Oklahoma who plan to attend a college, university or trade school, according to Critter Stop. Cooke County's graduating seniors fell within that stated Texas eligibility area.

Critter Stop's two postings give different deadlines, both of which had passed by June 22. The scholarship landing page sets an April 30, 2026 application deadline and says winners would be announced by May 15. The downloadable 2026 application form lists a May 15 deadline and says winners would be notified on or before June 1. Neither posting names a 2026 winner.

The page states that Critter Stop awarded $10,000 in 2025, divided among seven students, and it lists Noah Green and Madeline Neu among that year's recipients. The page does not specify how much either student received and assigns no individual dollar figure to any of the seven.

Applicants are asked to report a grade point average and to list their high school activities, community involvement, volunteer work, honors and offices held, according to the application form. The form also requires an essay covering the student's college goals, intended major, education plans and reason for needing the scholarship.

Cooke County districts finished the Class of 2026 this spring. Lindsay ISD reported that 42 Lindsay High School students received diplomas at a May 22 ceremony. Muenster ISD scheduled its Muenster High School graduation for the same evening at 6 p.m. in the Hornet Competition Gym. Gainesville ISD identified Jackson Otts as the Gainesville High School Class of 2026 salutatorian in a Student Spotlight item on its website. Muenster ISD's Lady Hornet basketball page lists Emma Grewing as a second-team all-district and academic all-district selection for 2025-26, following honorable mention and academic all-district recognition the prior year.

Local school foundations support students through separate channels. The Gainesville ISD education foundation describes itself as a 501(c)(3) organization that funds district activities tax dollars do not cover. The Muenster ISD education foundation says local education foundations can fund student scholarships; its 2025 record lists seven instructional enhancement grants for teachers, totaling $16,028.