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No Jack, you clearly didn't get what it at issue here. This has nothing to do with whether the OP is an adult. It has nothing to do with taxes, either (at least not directly). His/her post was all about trying to get in state resident status at a public university to get the lower in state rates. When the students parent's are out of state the student has meet certain requirements to establish NY residency on his/her own to get the in state rates. NY requires, among other things that the student be "emancipated" from his parents, with emancipation in this context meaning financially independent from his/her parents. Consider this explanation from the State University of New York:

The University must comply with SUNY’s administrative policy, “Establishment of Residency for Tuition Purposes,” when determining residency status. Key to any residency case is the determination of domicile, which is defined as a fixed, permanent home to which a person intends to return following an absence. In order to qualify for residency for tuition purposes, it is generally required that a New York State domicile must have been established at least one year prior to the period of registration at the University and maintained beyond that point. The burden of proof is upon the applicant through the submission of documentary evidence sufficient to demonstrate domiciliary status.

Emancipation, including full financial independence, is a cornerstone consideration in residency determinations. Pursuant to SUNY policy, the domicile of students who are not financially independent (emancipated) is that of the custodial parent(s) or legal guardian(s). SUNY policy further specifies some of the factors to be used in determining emancipation. A student claiming emancipation must present evidence of both emancipation and a New York State domicile in order to be designated a New York State resident for tuition purposes. Proof of emancipation must include documentation demonstrating the student’s financial independence.

(Bolding added.) As you can see, for in state college tuition purposes, a key focus is financial independence; emancipation as that word is used in languge of college tuition requirements.

What the OP has to do is show the school that he or she is financially independent — i.e. does not get any financial support from the parents. This is not something a court can do for the OP. What OP has do to is show he or she is completely self-supporting. Now, of course, if his parents are eligible to claim the OP as a dependent on their income tax return (even if they don't actually take that exemption) then that means the OP is not self supporting because one of the requirements to be eligible to do that is that the child is not providing over half his/her own support. If the parents are eligible to claim that exemption then the parents not claiming that exemption doesn't do any good because the OP still cannot claim the exemption himself and moreover the OP is still not financially independent. The crux of this is getting the financial records together to show that the OP is self-supporting.
I also appears that he wants to be independent for FAFSA purposes...and that is difficult to do under age 24. Generally unless you are married, have a child, are in the military, are an orphan, or are in graduate school, you are not going to be treated as independent for FAFSA purposes until you are 24.