It can depend on the college though. As @Ellyn said above, her child applied ED and was offered merit aid. It would be interesting to know if the merit aid was part of the financial aid package.
Most schools are really tight lipped about merit awards. It’s probably a good idea to ask the financial aid office about these things, though merit aid is given via the admissions office.
Maybe some other CC’ers have knowledge of this topic. @kelsmom @twoinanddone or @BelknapPoint might have something to add.